Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I OLEM OBLR 23 14
The FY24 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-Wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes) is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding opportunity designed to help states and Tribal Nations take a broader, community-level approach to identifying and evaluating brownfield sites. Brownfields are generally properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by actual or perceived contamination. This opportunity supports early-phase work that communities need before cleanup and redevelopment can realistically move forward, such as building inventories of sites, conducting environmental assessments, and gathering the information needed to plan for cleanup and reuse.
The legal authority behind the program comes from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), specifically Section 104(k), which was added through the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002. That amendment created and clarified federal financial assistance tools for brownfields revitalization, including assessment grants, cleanup grants, and revolving loan fund grants. The opportunity also reflects later updates made through the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act of 2018, which reauthorized EPAs Brownfields Program and introduced additional amendments affecting EPAs grant authorities as well as ownership and liability provisions that can matter when communities are trying to move stalled or underused properties back into productive use.
In practical terms, the EPA Brownfields Program uses these funds to empower states, Tribal Nations, communities, and eligible nonprofit organizations to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. This specific guidance focuses on how to apply for Community-Wide Assessment Grants tailored to states and tribes, meaning the funding is meant to be used across a jurisdiction or community rather than being limited to a single, individual site. The aim is to support systematic assessment work that can unlock multiple properties for future cleanup and redevelopment, improve community planning, and reduce barriers to investment in areas where contamination concerns have slowed progress.
The funding for this FY24 round is provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117-58). That matters because IIJA significantly increased federal investment in infrastructure and related environmental remediation priorities, including brownfields, which can help communities accelerate revitalization efforts and coordinate environmental assessment work with broader infrastructure and redevelopment plans.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the EPA under Funding Opportunity Number EPA I OLEM OBLR 23 14. Awards are issued as cooperative agreements, which typically means there is substantial EPA involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant, such as coordination, technical input, or oversight consistent with program requirements. The assistance listing (CFDA/Assistance Listing) number associated with the program is 66.818. The opportunity anticipated about 25 awards, with an award ceiling of up to 2,000,000 dollars per award. The original application closing date listed for this opportunity was November 13, 2023, and the posting indicates it was created on September 21, 2023.
Eligibility is indicated broadly in the notice as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the title and description make clear the primary target applicants are states and Tribal Nations seeking community-wide assessment funding. Overall, the opportunity is structured to help recipients generate the environmental data and planning foundation needed to move from suspected or uncertain contamination toward informed decisions about cleanup options, risk management, and eventual reuse, with the larger goal of returning underused properties to productive community benefit.Apply for EPA I OLEM OBLR 23 14
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment, infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 GUIDELINES FOR BROWNFIELD ASSESSMENT GRANTS (COMMUNITY-WIDE ASSESSMENT GRANTS FOR STATES AND TRIBES)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.818.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 21, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 13, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY24 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants (Community-Wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes) - FAQs
What is this funding opportunity?
This is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) FY24 Guidelines for Brownfield Assessment Grants focused on Community-Wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes. It supports early-phase brownfield work such as identifying sites, conducting environmental assessments, and collecting information needed to plan for cleanup and reuse.
What are brownfields (as described in the opportunity)?
Brownfields are generally properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by actual or perceived contamination.
What is the main purpose of these community-wide assessment grants?
The purpose is to help states and Tribal Nations take a broader, community-level approach to identifying and evaluating brownfield sites across a jurisdiction, rather than focusing on a single site. The goal is to produce the information base needed for cleanup planning and eventual reuse and redevelopment.
What kinds of activities does the funding support?
The opportunity supports early-phase work communities need before cleanup and redevelopment can realistically move forward. Examples listed include building inventories of sites, conducting environmental assessments, and gathering the information needed to plan for cleanup and reuse.
Is this grant limited to one specific property or site?
No. This guidance focuses on Community-Wide Assessment Grants tailored to states and tribes, meaning funding is intended to be used across a jurisdiction or community rather than being limited to a single, individual site.
Who is this opportunity intended for?
The notice indicates eligibility as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," and the title and description make clear the primary target applicants are states and Tribal Nations seeking community-wide assessment funding.
How many awards were anticipated?
About 25 awards were anticipated for this opportunity.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is up to 2,000,000 dollars per award.
What type of funding instrument is used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
Awards are issued as cooperative agreements.
What does it mean that awards are cooperative agreements?
Cooperative agreements typically involve substantial EPA involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant. The opportunity describes this involvement as potentially including coordination, technical input, or oversight consistent with program requirements.
What is the legal authority for the EPA Brownfields Program mentioned here?
The legal authority described is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), specifically Section 104(k). Section 104(k) was added through the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, which created and clarified federal financial assistance tools for brownfields revitalization.
How does the BUILD Act relate to this opportunity?
The opportunity reflects updates made through the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act of 2018. The description notes that this act reauthorized EPA's Brownfields Program and introduced amendments affecting EPA's grant authorities as well as ownership and liability provisions that can matter when communities are working to return underused properties to productive use.
Where does the FY24 funding come from?
The FY24 round is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117-58).
Why does IIJA funding matter for this program (based on the notice)?
The description notes that IIJA significantly increased federal investment in infrastructure and related environmental remediation priorities, including brownfields. This increase can help communities accelerate revitalization efforts and coordinate environmental assessment work with broader infrastructure and redevelopment plans.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is EPA I OLEM OBLR 23 14.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA/Assistance Listing) number?
The Assistance Listing number associated with the program is 66.818.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting indicates it was created on September 21, 2023. The original application closing date listed was November 13, 2023.
What is the broader goal of funding brownfield assessments?
The opportunity is structured to help recipients generate environmental data and planning foundations needed to move from suspected or uncertain contamination toward informed decisions about cleanup options, risk management, and eventual reuse, with the larger goal of returning underused properties to productive community benefit.
How does this opportunity fit within the EPA Brownfields Program overall?
The description explains that the EPA Brownfields Program uses funds to empower states, Tribal Nations, communities, and eligible nonprofit organizations to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. This specific guidance focuses on applying for community-wide assessment grants tailored to states and tribes.
Does the opportunity mention other types of brownfields grants besides assessment grants?
Yes. The description notes that the 2002 amendments created and clarified federal financial assistance tools for brownfields revitalization, including assessment grants, cleanup grants, and revolving loan fund grants. This opportunity, however, focuses on community-wide assessment grants for states and tribes.
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