“The $267 million in Brownfield Grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “This program proves that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive.”
The May grant awards included:
These grants are designed to help communities—especially those facing legacy industrial pollution—unlock redevelopment potential by removing environmental, financial, and legal barriers.
The National Brownfields Training Conference, hosted at McCormick Place in Chicago, is the largest event in the U.S. focused on environmental redevelopment. It brings together leaders from government, real estate, finance, and environmental services to explore practical solutions for transforming brownfields into viable community assets.
Attendees will gain insights into regulatory updates, financing mechanisms, legal protections, and successful case studies. Workshops and networking sessions will support cross-sector collaboration and innovation in site reuse.
Since its inception, the EPA’s Brownfields Program has distributed nearly $2.9 billion in grants and leveraged more than $42 billion in public and private investment. The program has contributed to the creation of over 220,500 jobs, making it a cornerstone of environmentally conscious economic development.
Recent funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act has further bolstered brownfield redevelopment efforts, providing additional capital to plan, clean, and reuse sites across the country.
Brownfield sites—more than 450,000 across the U.S.—represent a largely untapped economic opportunity. The EPA’s grant programs help developers and municipalities mitigate risk, enhance project feasibility, and access technical support.
For businesses, the cleanup and reuse of these properties align with both ESG goals and long-term growth strategies. For local governments, successful redevelopment can restore tax bases, create jobs, and reduce pressure on undeveloped land.
With fresh investments secured in May and the national conference on the horizon, the momentum behind brownfields redevelopment continues to build.
The August gathering in Chicago will serve as both a milestone and a catalyst—bringing together changemakers ready to turn environmental liabilities into economic opportunity.
