This May, the EPA announced $267 million in new Brownfields Grants to help clean up contaminated sites across the U.S.—and the scale of impact is set to be wide. From old factories to long-abandoned gas stations, these funds aim to breathe life into properties that have sat unused due to toxic legacies.
The funding is split across several categories: $121.8 million will go toward environmental assessments and planning efforts; $88.2 million will fund direct cleanups at sites already owned by the recipients; $15 million is going to communities that will loan or subgrant funds for additional remediation work. An extra $42 million is being funneled to cities and organizations that have already put prior funds to work and are ready to scale.
Since its launch in 1995, the EPA’s Brownfields Program has helped fund cleanups in thousands of communities. The concept is simple: identify blighted, potentially hazardous lots, clean them up, and give them a second life—whether as green space, affordable housing, or sites for local businesses. But what started as a niche environmental effort has evolved into a proven economic development tool.
To date, the program has generated more than $42 billion in public and private redevelopment investment and supported over 220,000 jobs. This year’s grants continue that trend, with funds awarded in all 10 EPA regions.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin positioned the 2025 grants as part of a larger push for environmental and economic revitalization. He noted that the initiative is about “creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families.”
The grants won’t just cover environmental cleanup. Funds will also support community outreach and redevelopment planning—crucial steps in making sure that the transformed sites reflect local needs. While some will become commercial spaces or housing, others could be turned into parks, food co-ops, or climate-resilient infrastructure.
With climate adaptation and equitable development becoming central to local planning, the reuse of these brownfield sites offers a chance to design for the future while dealing with the past.
A full list of communities and organizations receiving funding is available here.
