Funding

Available Funding Opportunities for Brownfield Assessments and Cleanups

Funding support is available through the EPA’s Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment Program for both
environmental investigations and clean-up.

Grants are available for Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments (ESAs). A Phase I ESA
documents the history and current status of the site and identifies any areas of potential contamination. A
Phase II investigation further evaluates the potential contamination, usually by the collection of soil,
soil gas, and/or groundwater samples, which are then analyzed for suspected contaminants. The results of
the Phase II investigation are used to determine if clean-up is necessary. Additional funding support for
clean-up is available through the Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF).

Funding Eligibility

Innocent landowners (those that did not cause, contribute or allow the site to become contaminated),
including private owners, nonprofit organizations and public entities, are eligible to receive funding. Those
who caused the contamination )the responsible party) or leased the property to a responsible party are not
eligible for funding, but may use funding through the Brownfield Program as a marketing tool for potential
buyers, or may choose to donate the land to an eligible non profit organization or public agency. More
information can be found on the Eligibility for Funding page.

Fund Administration

RPC received a federal grant from the EPA to distribute funds to eligible projects in St. Bernard,
Plaquemines, and St. Tammany Parishes. (Jefferson and Orleans parishes have been awarded separate
grants.) For assessments, sites enrolled in the RPC Brownfield Redevelopment program are eligible for
funding on a first-come, first-served basis. If demand for Brownfields funding increases significantly, RPC
will use our USTriage software ranking program and the Southeast Louisiana Brownfields Consortium to
rank sites for assessment funding. The RPC is responsible for choosing the environmental consultant to
perform the work, as well as oversight of the investigation. The landowner has input into the decision process
and is involved in every step of the investigation.

For cleanups using the Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund, the applicant is responsible for choosing a
qualified consultant and overseeing the cleanup, with the regulatory oversight of the Louisiana Department
of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).