EPA Brownfield Program
Brownfields?
Eligibility
Application
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Brownfields means real property where the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Whether it’s an abandoned industrial building or a car repair site, there are a variety of sites that can be eligible for these grant-funded services.
There are a variety of qualifiers that can make a site eligible for these services through the City’s Brownfield Assessment Program. Those qualifiers include, but are not limited to:
- If the site has real environmental contamination or is perceived to have environmental contamination
- The site is not listed on the National Priority List (Superfund Sites)
- The site is underutilized; abandoned
- A redevelopment plan is available
- The redevelopment plan will serve historically underserved communities
- The developer has applied for or secured funding from other sources such as: CDBG, HUD, municipal, state, or private funds.
There are preliminary steps that the applicant must go through in order to determine if a site qualifies for this service. Firstly, the applicant must fill out a site form that provides information about the project-site. The site form can be obtained by either requesting one from the Economic Development Bureau, or by clicking on this link. Secondly, the completed site form is submitted to the contact information listed below for the City’s Economic Development Bureau. Once a project-site has been reviewed for eligibility, and the form has been approved, the City of Augusta and Sevee & Maher Engineers, will draw out a plan to determine next steps with the applicant.
Depending on the scale and scope of the project site in terms of contamination levels, there are three steps that the participant must complete. Each of these steps will include activities within them, such as community outreach and engagement, and collaboration with local, state, and federal partners to ensure that the project’s activities meet community needs, and comply with laws and policy.
Those steps are as follows:
1) Phase I Environmental Site Assessment: A report is drawn that covers the history of the site, and its current status in regard to contamination concerns. This report identifies the parties in the project who would be liable for contamination at the site.
2) Phase II Environmental Site Assessment: Physical and natural features would be tested, such as water and ground samples. Depending on the project, alternative solutions are identified and weighed, and public input is sought after, to ensure that all other options are exhausted and considered prior to the project taking place.
3) Clean Up & Remediation Plan: Based on the results of Phase I & II, a clean up plan will identify options to address the contamination of the site prior to development efforts taking place.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. It is important for applicants to know that funding isn’t guaranteed/secured through the submission of the site form. That the grant sources for the program are obligated through state and federal agencies, and the availability of program funding is subject to change.
Contact Information
To submit the site form, or if you have questions and need assistance with completing the site form, please reach out to the Economic Development Bureau at:
Katie Ramirez, Economic Development Specialist
16 Cony Street, Augusta, Maine 04330
Phone: (207)626-2365
Fax: (207)626-2520
Additional Resources
For more information about the EPA, and the Brownfield Program Processes, you can visit the EPA’s website at: Brownfields | US EPA
