EPA Brownfi elds Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and 

Cleanup (ARC) Grant Proposal Guidelines: Key Modifi cations 

Background

EPA’s Brownfi elds Program promotes the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 

brownfi elds. In fi scal year 2008, communities in 43 states, 2 Tribal Nations and 2 territories will share over $74 million 

in EPA Brownfi elds grants to help revitalize these former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem 

properties to productive community assets. Since the beginning of the Brownfi elds Program, EPA has awarded 1,255 

Assessment grants totaling $298.6 million, 230 Revolving Loan Fund grants totaling $217.7 million, and 426 Cleanup grants 

totaling $78.7 million—resulting in 11,779 properties assessed, 258 properties cleaned up, 544 properties representing 4,497 

acres determined as ready for productive reuse, and 316 properties redeveloped or with redevelopment underway. These 

projects have leveraged more than $11 billion in private investment and helped to attract more than 48,238 jobs.

Modifi cation Old New

New opportunity for assessment 

applicants – Coalition Assessments

No Assessment Coalition Opportunity. An Assessment Coalition is comprised of three or more eligible entities. 

The lead coalition member submits a Community-wide Assessment 

grant proposal on behalf of itself and the other members. The coalition 

may request up to $1 million to work on a minimum of fi ve hazardous 

substance and/or petroleum sites.

Coalition members are not eligible to apply for individual Communitywide or Site-specifi c Assessment grants in the year they apply as part of 

a coalition.

Examples of how Assessment Coalitions are designed to work are 

presented elsewhere in the fact sheet.

Streamlined guidelines 

a. Reduced complex terminology

b. Single proposal for community-wide 

assessment

c. Separate guidance documents for 

each grant type

d. Reorganized ranking criteria sections

e. Reduction in legal opinions 

(RLF grants only)

f. Inclusion of a proposal content 

checklist

a. Complex, legal language in various sections of the grant 

proposals. 

b. Two separate community-wide assessment proposals 

required for hazardous and petroleum funding.

c. Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup grant proposal guidance 

consolidated into one document.

d. Ten separate criteria sections used in proposal evaluations. 

e. Two legal opinions required when submitting RLF grant 

proposals. 

f. Proposal content checklist not included in the grant 

proposal guidelines. 

a. Reduced “legalese” to increase accessibility and readability.

b. Hazardous and petroleum funding requests combined into one 

community-wide assessment proposal.

c. Issued separate proposal guidance for Assessment, RLF, and 

Cleanup grants.

d. Four concise criteria sections to reduce redundancy and focus on 

project implementation.

e. One legal opinion required when submitting RLF grant proposals.

f. Proposal content checklist is now included at the end of threshold 

and ranking criteria of the proposal guidelines, enhancing its 

accessibility. 

(continued)

Breakdown of the Differences Between the New EPA Brownfi elds ARC Grant Proposal Guidelines and Old Proposal Guidelines:

Overview

EPA modifi ed key areas of its Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) Grant Proposal Guidelines to create 

additional funding opportunities for communities, and improve applicants’ potential for success through:

• New opportunities for assessment applicants;

• Streamlined guidelines; and

• New proposal requirements, designed to help ensure grantee success. 

Request for Brownfi elds Grant Proposals

EPA plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in late summer of 2008 for 2009 competitive EPA Brownfi elds grants.

Grand opening ceremony, Belmar City Center, Lakewood, Colorado Check awarding ceremony, Fletcher, North Carolina Ribbon cutting, Metro Center Shopping Center, Hartford, Connecticut
What are some examples of how Assessment 

Coalitions work?

Example #1 

A state agency applies for EPA Brownfi elds funding 

together with several smaller communities as members of 

a coalition. The state assumes the role of “recipient” (i.e., 

the entity that would administer the grant, is accountable 

to EPA for proper expenditure of the funds, and acts as 

point of contact for other coalition members). These 

entities have formed a coalition to target numerous sites 

that have become blighted and/or under-utilized along an 

historic highway running through the communities.

Example #2

A coalition of metro municipalities, such as one large 

city and several surrounding cities/towns, could apply for 

$1 million. In a given year, one coalition member’s site 

assessment needs may be relatively minimal compared to 

another member’s, or the ability to assess a targeted site 

may be complicated by legal access issues. Priorities can 

be set each year to conduct assessments on the properties 

that have the most immediate need.

For additional information on the changes to the EPA 

Brownfi elds ARC Grant Guidelines, or to apply for an 

EPA Brownfi elds Grant, please visit: 

www.epa.gov/brownfi elds/applicat.htm

Modifi cation Old New

New proposal requirements to help 

ensure grantee success 

a. Environmental Assessment reports

b. Community notifi cation 

c. Narrative proposal limit

d. Letters of support from 

community-based organizations 

a. A Phase II environmental assessment report had to 

be complete or underway at the time a Cleanup Grant 

proposal was submitted. 

b. Applicants not required to include documentation of 

community notifi cation with a proposal (i.e., provide the 

community with notice of its intent to apply for an EPA 

Brownfi elds grant).

c. 18-page limit for narrative proposal 

(including two-page cover letter).

d. Names and contact information for community-based 

organizations provided in grant proposals.

a. Phase II environmental assessment reports must be complete at the 

time a Cleanup Grant proposal is submitted.

b. Cleanup applicants only must include documentation of community 

notifi cation and response to comments when submitting an 

EPA Brownfi elds grant proposal. This eliminates the need for 

applicants to respond to several community notifi cation questions in 

the grant proposal while clearly demonstrating that the requirement 

has been fulfi lled.

c. 18-page limit for narrative proposal 

(not including two-page cover letter).

d. Letters of support from all community-based organizations identifi ed 

in proposal must be included. 

Community notifi cation is a 

threshold criteria for cleanup 

grant applicants only 

All applicants performed community notifi cation prior to 

grant award.

For threshold eligibility, only cleanup grant applicants need to perform 

community notifi cation prior to proposal submission.

All applicants (including RLF & Assessment applicants) are required to 

implement community involvement plans once a grant is awarded.

All applicants will still be evaluated on their plans for community

involvement per required ranking criteria when submitting an EPA

Brownfi elds grant proposal.

United States Environmental Grant Proposal Guidelines EPA-560-F-08-245

Protection Agency Fact Sheet June 2008

Washington, D.C. 20460 www.epa.gov/brownfi elds

The Evans and Rosedale Property in Fort Worth, Texas, 

before revitalization (above) and after (below).