Assessment and Cleanup Funding
The MassDEP Brownfields Program is making resources available to conduct brownfields assessment and cleanup activities on behalf of municipalities and other eligible entities. Municipalities, non-profits, and others may request assistance from MassDEP to perform site assessment and cleanup at potentially contaminated properties in their community. MassDEP will review requests for assistance to determine eligibility for support and if adequate funds are available.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) awarded funding for this program to MassDEP through the Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program and a Section 104 (k). Community-wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes (CWAG-ST). All properties where MassDEP conducts assessment and cleanup activities must meet federal brownfields eligibility criteria. To request assistance, please complete the Request for Assistance form (at link below) and e-mail the form to the Statewide Brownfields Coordinator, David Foss, David.Foss@mass.gov
Brownfields Assistance Request Form
NOTE: If a site is selected for consideration, the property owner will be required to provide access to the site, and MassDEP will coordinate with the US EPA Brownfields team to determine site eligibility.
External Grants & Financial Assistance
Funding Opportunities:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grant funding for brownfield projects. Types of awards include funding for assessment, cleanup, multipurpose, revolving loan funds, job training, and technical assistance.
- MassDevelopment – MassDevelopment’s Brownfield Redevelopment Fund finances the environmental assessment and remediation of brownfield sites.
- Regional Planning Agencies – Many regional planning agencies in Massachusetts have received EPA brownfields assessment grants and Revolving Loan Funds (RLF). These grants provide funding for brownfields projects in target communities within their target specific.
Financial Incentives:
- Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources – The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program incentivizes the development of solar arrays on brownfields through a Brownfield Generation Unit Adder.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue – The Brownfields Tax Credit may be available to individual taxpayers, non-profit organizations, and business corporations that clean up contaminated property in Massachusetts once cleanup is complete.
Technical Assistance:
- University of Connecticut Technical Assistance to Brownfields Program (UConnTAB) - UConn TAB supports New England communities (US EPA Region 1) by providing services like document and grant proposal review, guidance with regulatory, technical and economic issues, planning and organization of community engagement actions, and continuing education on topics related to brownfields.
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Brownfields Revitalization Anti-Displacement Strategies (BRADs) Program – The BRADs Program is a national resource and technical assistance hub that provides guidance and training in developing and applying equity-centered and economically inclusive anti-displacement strategies.