U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Awards $2.5 Million Brownfields Grant to SLDC for Community Rehabilitation and Revitalization
St. Louis, MO (August 22, 2024) — In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $300 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help States, Tribal Nations, local governments and non-profit organizations assess and clean up polluted brownfield sites across the country. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
As an existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant recipient who has demonstrated success in its work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites, St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) was selected to receive $2.5 million in supplemental funding. Supplemental funding for RLF Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work. RLF supplemental funding will help sustain and increase the great progress SLDC has made in cleaning up brownfield sites, while also helping St. Louis to become stronger, healthier and more economically competitive.
“St. Louis Development Corporation is thrilled to accept this $2.5 million award from our long-standing partners at the U.S. EPA,” said SLDC’s President & CEO, Neal Richardson. “St. Louis has a number of sites where redevelopment is hindered by environmental concerns. These funds will be the catalyst for these long vacant sites to see new life and revitalize the surrounding areas.”
This award effectively quadruples the amount of funding SLDC has available for remediation of contaminated sites in the City of St. Louis, which can be distributed via loans or subgrants to developers who apply.
EPA’s announcement includes approximately $231 million from the historic once-in-a generation $1.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth. To see the full list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
SLDC President & CEO, Neal Richardson, and VP, Land Assemblage and Redevelopment, Peter Phillips, accept $2.5 million check from Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Chief, Stanley Walker, and Meg McCollister, EPA’s Regional Administrator for Region 7.