News

Be Prepared for an Accelerated Brownfields Application Timeline

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields program provides millions of dollars annually in assessment and cleanup grants to help communities revitalize idle or underutilized properties.

For fiscal year 2021, it’s anticipated that the EPA will move up the release of Brownfields grant guidance documents approximately two months, to August. Terracon’s Brownfields team is ready to meet the challenges of this expected new timeline.

Minimal Guideline Changes Expected

The last significant change to the federal Brownfields grants guideline format was two years ago. Since changes must be reviewed and approved, it is anticipated that the upcoming Brownfields guidance format will have minimal changes, especially considering the earlier release date. Applications must be completed and submitted within approximately 60 days of the guidelines release date. If an application is approved, funds will be available in October 2021.

If you’re considering a federal Brownfields grant application for fiscal year 2021, contact your local Terracon office as soon as possible. Terracon’s Brownfields team is working to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic to help build successful applications.

A Track Record of Success

Throughout the history in the EPA Brownfields program, our staff has assisted clients in obtaining nearly $40 million in EPA Brownfields grants. From 2015 to 2020, Terracon staff has assisted clients nationwide in obtaining nearly $10 million in EPA Assessment and Cleanup grants, with an overall grant writing success rate of 64 percent – 30 percent above the industry average – making Terracon one of the most successful firms in assisting communities with building their Brownfields programs.

The grant application process is extremely competitive, and the EPA rarely awards perfect scores with only four assessment grants awarded a perfect score over the last four years. Terracon worked with a client that received a perfect assessment grant score in fiscal year 2020, one of only two nationwide, an accomplishment that underscores our ability to meet brownfield challenges from grant writing through project implementation.

Talk to your local Terracon office to learn more about Terracon’s Brownfields services.

Belinda Richard is Terracon’s national Brownfields program manager and has 23 years of environmental experience with the recent 16 years focused on implementing Brownfields projects. She has provided Brownfields program management or assistance to 60 federally funded Brownfields grant programs totaling over $32 million in EPA funding.