EPA Programs for Brownfields & Environmental Justice (EJ) have been around since the mid-1990s. Annual funding appropriations for competitive grants have been surprisingly consistent over the past three decades, generally ranging from $60-100M dollars per year. However, in response to two major economic upheavals, the Great Recession (circa 2007-2009) and the COVID-19 pandemic (circa 2020-2023), bills such as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) & the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), have temporarily infused hundreds of millions (and now billions) of dollars of additional funding into these programs. The combination of BIL + IRA funding has made the past few years by far the most fruitful in U.S. history for securing funding for brownfields and EJ.
However, with the recent federal elections and a second Trump term on the horizon, many folks in our industry wonder where these programs stand today and what the next four years (and beyond) have in store for them. In an attempt to predict the future, we must consider the past.
For the past 30 years, EPA has held annual brownfield grant competitions to help communities inventory, assess, cleanup and plan the restoration and redevelopment of abandoned, vacant and underutilized properties. The Pilot Programs of the 1990s paved the way for the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, also known as the Brownfields Law, which was signed by President Bush in 2002. The bill was created to alleviate some of the challenges communities face when revitalizing environmentally impaired properties. Since that time, throughout the Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, annual appropriations for the EPA Brownfield Grant Program have remained surprisingly consistent (albeit underfunded in my opinion), ranging from $60-$90M per year.
Similarly, since 1994, EPA has held annual grant competitions to help communities identify, form collaborative partnerships, and develop solutions to address EJ issues in disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Annual appropriations for these grants have also remained somewhat consistent (albeit significantly underfunded in my opinion), ranging from $1M in 1994 to $20M in 2022.
During the past few years, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, these programs have received dramatic increases in funding. Established in 2021, the BIL included an additional $1B of additional EPA Brownfield Grant funding to be awarded over five years [Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022-2026]. This was followed by the IRA, which included over $20B for EJ. In 2023, the EPA allocated over $700M to establish Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs) and EJ Grantmakers nationwide. In 2024, EPA rolled out a new $2B Environmental & Climate Justice (ECJ) Community Change Grants (CCG) Program, with individual grants of up to $20M each for projects that address legacy pollution and enhance resiliency to climate impacts. After decades of discussing the issues and establishing plans and partnerships, the ECJCCG Program represents a significant investment in implementing transformative solutions to EJ and climate impacts.
Increased funding levels for these programs mean at least 5X more funding for brownfield projects in circulation. With project implementation periods of 4-5 years for these grants, funding awarded in 2024 can last through 2028, and funding awarded in 2025 through 2029. Similarly, most of the $2B of ECJCCG funding is still being awarded, with many of these projects likely having completion dates in 2028.
With a second Trump term on the horizon, many communities wonder what will happen over the next four years and beyond. Looking back at the first Trump presidency, funding levels remained relatively flat, but annual appropriations remained consistent with prior administrations.
With respect to brownfields, in 2018 then, President Trump signed the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act, which expanded the 2002 Brownfields Law, including increased funding thresholds for individual grants (e.g. – individual cleanup grants increased from $200K to $500K), opening access to grant funding for community-based organizations, the establishment of tax incentives in business opportunity zones, and the creation of multipurpose grants for assessment, cleanup and redevelopment planning of large sites and brownfield-impacted areas. However, it is foreseeable that there will be efforts in 2025 and 2026 to scale back the remaining funds from the BIL and IRA, but we will have to monitor the situation closely. There is room for optimism, as historically, these grants have been popular in urban and rural America and red, blue, and purple states.
The outlook seems bleaker regarding EJ and climate resiliency. During the first Trump presidency, funding levels were flat or reduced, and the proposed FY2018 and FY2019 budgets suggested cutting the EPA's EJ efforts. Despite the overall push for budget cuts, some EJ grants and programs persisted. These included efforts to support community-based organizations working on EJ issues.
As a disadvantaged community concerned about the future of these critical resources, what can you do in 2025 and beyond to build or strengthen your brownfields and EJ programs? Leverage existing funding to create undeniable positive change in your community – success breeds success! Be prepared for a pause in funding increases and reach out for assistance from the EPA’s Technical Assistance for Brownfields (TAB) providers, Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs), and Grantmakers assigned for your region. Prepare for the next phase of large grants, including strengthening collaborative partnerships and preparing detailed pre-construction plans, cost estimates, and permit and financing strategies. Contact your local, state, and federal government representatives and let them know you want them to support these transformative programs.
Chris Gdak, Practice Leader for Brownfields & Community Revitalization, Montrose Environmental Services, Inc.
As the practice leader for Brownfield & Community Revitalize at Montrose, Chris Gdak empowers communities to build sustainable programs to achieve their environmental restoration and resiliency goals.
