Supporting Communities

Understanding brownfields involves understanding environmental contamination at brownfield sites, assessing potential risks and implementing strategies for cleanup and safe reuse to mitigate environmental and health hazards in communities. 

Assessing, cleaning up and sustainably reusing brownfields can improve local environmental quality, attract businesses, create jobs, increase property value and provide additional tax revenue for local governments. It also gives communities an opportunity to improve environmental equity and protect public health.

EPA’s Brownfields Program offers grant funding and technical assistance to help communities address contaminated properties, and federal programs may be available to cover a portion of the redevelopment costs. These resources can be especially helpful to small and rural communities, nonprofits and Tribal Nations.

Also check out information on how land banks can help address brownfields, urban agriculture and relevant laws and regulations.