EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants, and Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
$500,000
EPA has selected the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop three cleanup plans and support community outreach activities. The target areas for this grant are the Mid-City neighborhood, the Plank Road Corridor, and the Scotlandville neighborhood. All three areas are communities with environmental justice concerns. Priority sites include a former auto repair facility, an 8-acre site where chemical drums were stored, cleaned out, and repainted, and a former filling station.