EPA Press Office:

Wyoming communities to receive over $3 million to advance environmental cleanups

Wyoming DEQ, City of Cheyenne, and Sheridan County Conservation District among 265 nationwide to receive Brownfields Cleanup, Assessment and Revolving Loan Fund Grants to help build a better America while advancing environmental justice

Cheyenne, Wyo. (May 12, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing Wyoming will receive over $3 million to advance the cleanup and revitalization of priority sites. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the City of Cheyenne will each receive a Brownfields assessment grant of $2 million and $500,000, respectively. The Sheridan County Conservation District will receive a $585,000 Brownfields cleanup grant.

“With this funding, Wyoming communities will advance the cleanup of polluted sites, prioritizing community involvement in decision-making,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “I applaud Wyoming DEQ, Cheyenne and Sheridan County for focusing on environmental cleanups and investing in economic opportunities that will continue to reap benefits for Wyomingites.”

With funding from the Brownfields community-wide assessment grant for states and tribes, Wyoming DEQ plans to conduct at least 35 environmental site assessments. These site assessments will examine current and historical uses of properties, and sample soil, water, air and building materials, to evaluate potential contamination, determine cleanup options, and initiate reuse planning. DEQ will also use grant funds to develop 11 cleanup and reuse plans and support community outreach activities. Priority sites include several abandoned industrial manufacturing areas, former mine-energy peripheral areas, two vacant hotels, and several salvage yards and junkyards in the City of Laramie, Sweetwater County, and Carbon County.

“The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Brownfields Assistance Program is very pleased to continue our partnership with EPA’s Brownfields Program to address multiple priority sites in communities around the State of Wyoming,” said Ben Luckey, program manager for Hazardous Waste & Voluntary Remediation Programs at Wyoming DEQ. “We greatly appreciate the support of EPA to empower communities in Wyoming to become stronger, healthier, and more economically resilient.”

The City of Cheyenne plans to use the Brownfields assessment grant to inventory sites and conduct 23 environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to develop five cleanup plans and support area-wide planning and community engagement activities. Priority sites include a livestock feed mill, several industrial storage structures, a scrap metal recycling center, a lumber company, and an old machine shop in Cheyenne’s West Edge District and in other parts of the city.

“This is great news for Cheyenne, and we are excited to utilize this grant to further redevelopment opportunities in our community,” said City of Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins. “This grant will help educate property owners and the public of potential barriers to development and allow the City to utilize tools, such as the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund and the newly created Urban Renewal Authority, to remove those barriers to create a vibrant and inclusive community.”

With Brownfields cleanup grant funding, the Sheridan County Conservation District plans to clean up the buildings at the former Acme Power Plant located on 165 Acme Road in the City of Sheridan. The 2-acre site housed a coal-fired power plant from 1910 to 1976 that supplied power to the Acme Mine and the surrounding area. The site was later used for automobile salvage and crushing, battery recycling, and transformer storage. It currently is abandoned and contaminated with metals and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.

“We are extremely excited to be a recipient of a Cleanup Grant for the former Acme Power Plant. This grant, which will support asbestos abatement in the structures on this 5-acre site, will expand greenspace and recreational opportunities in the Tongue River Valley in Sheridan County Wyoming. A coal-fired power plant constructed in 1910, Acme was an important component of the region’s cultural and industrial history; however, the current condition impacts water and land quality, recreational activities, and the health and safety of residents and tourists,” said District Manager Carrie Rogaczewski, Sheridan County Conservation District. “Consistent with community priorities, cleanup and reuse of the Acme site will increase the availability of outdoor spaces for youth programs and recreation opportunities, promote sustainable reuse of an historic building or building materials, and eliminate asbestos exposure risks.  The cleanup grant will complement other activities at the site, including soil cleanup and debris removal, being funded through other sources.”

The Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justive40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of this announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas. EPA’s Brownfields grants and other technical assistance programs like the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative are also helping to build the clean energy economy.

Today’s announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with more than $75 million from fiscal year 2022 appropriations.  

The funding includes:

• $112.8 million for 183 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
• $18.2 million for 36 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
• $16.3 million for 17 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
• $107 million for 39 high-performing Revolving Loan Fund Grant recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work. 

The list of selected applicants is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2022-brownfields-assessment-rlf-cleanup-arc-grants-and-rlf

Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:

• To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
• Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
• In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
• Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites.

Additional Background

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.    

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).