EPA Awards $9.4M for Brownfield Cleanup

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $9.4 million in grant funding to 10 recipients in Indiana to assess or clean up brownfield sites. The EPA says projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that formerly managed hazardous chemicals.

“These Brownfield grants will further improve communities across Indiana,” said IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess. “We look forward to working with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure further development at these sites and return them to productive use.”

The grant recipients are listed below:

• The Indiana Finance Authority – $2 million to conduct up to 23 Phase II environmental site assessments and develop up to 20 cleanup and reuse plans. The grant will target the cities of Lafayette, Gary, Frankfort, Evansville, and New Castle. The IFA is also receiving $3.9 million for the agency’s Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund.
• The city of Lebanon – $150,000 to develop an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments.
• The East Central Indiana Regional Planning District – $500,000 grant to update an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct 14 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments targeting Delaware County and the city of Muncie.
• The town of Fortville – $305,700 to develop an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct 10 Phase I and up to eight Phase II environmental site assessments.
• The city of Martinsville – $400,300 to develop a brownfield site inventory and conduct 12 Phase I and up to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments.
• The Michiana Area Council of Governments – $500,000 to conduct 18 Phase I and up to 13 Phase II environmental site assessments targeting the cities of Elkhart and South Bend.
• Michigan City Sanitary District – $400,450 to conduct 13 Phase I and eight to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and develop five to 10 cleanup plans.
• The city of Seymour – $500,000 to conduct 14 Phase I and 10 to 12 Phase II environmental site assessments and develop five to 10 cleanup plans.
• The city of Sullivan – $305,700 to conduct 10 Phase I and six to eight Phase II environmental site assessments and develop five to 10 cleanup plans.
• The West Central Indiana Economic Development District Inc. – $400,000 to conduct 18 to 20 Phase I and 10 to 13 Phase II environmental site assessments. The grant will target towns with the highest concentrations of brownfield sites in Vermillion County including Cayuga, St. Bernice, Blanford, Eugene, Newport, and Clinton.

After remediation, the EPA says former brownfield sites can be redeveloped for use as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms.