More than $6.3 Million Goes to Revitalizing Properties Through Supplemental Grant Funding
Sixteen state or local governments are receiving supplemental funding for their Brownfields revolving loan fund grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This funding will enable state, local and tribal governments to make more loans and subgrants that fund cleanup at brownfields sites.

Request for Applications for Brownfields 2009-2013 Annual Conference Primary Non-federal Co-sponsor
EPA has announced the availability of funds and is soliciting proposals from eligible entities (as defined at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) 104(k)(1)) and non-profit organizations for financial assistance to assist non-federal personnel (states, tribes, local governments, non-profits, industry and community groups) in participating in three national Brownfields conferences to be planned and held over a five-year period, beginning in 2009. The Brownfields conferences provide training, research and technical assistance to communities to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments and remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, and site preparation. The successful applicant will be the primary non-federal co-sponsor for the conference and EPA will be the primary federal co-sponsor.

Communities in 43 states, 2 Tribal Nations and 2 territories will share over $74 million in EPA Brownfields grants
These communities will share over $74 million in EPA Brownfields grants to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. Since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA has awarded 1255 assessment grants totaling $298.6 million, 230 revolving loan fund grants totaling $217.7 million, and 426 cleanup grants totaling $78.7 million.

Draft FY 2009 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines
For the FY 2009 national competition EPA has revised the Brownfields Grant Proposal Guidelines (guidelines). EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants: assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup. The major changes to the guidelines include: three separate booklets for each of the grant types; Assessment Coalitions which allow eligible entities of 3 or more to request up to $1 M dollars for hazardous substance or petroleum (or combined) community-wide assessments; Community Notification is a threshold criterion; ranking criteria is four sections: Community Need, Project Feasibility, Community Engagement and Project Benefits; community based organization letters of support are required; and a Phase II report complete at time of application for a cleanup grant is required. The guidelines are available at:

• Draft FY2009 Brownfields Assessment Grant Guidelines
• Draft FY2009 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant Guidelines
• Draft FY2009 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Guidelines

Fiscal Year 2008 Brownfields Job Training Grants Announced
Thirteen communities in 10 states will share more than $2.5 million in job training grants geared toward cleaning up contaminated properties and turning them into productive community assets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under its Brownfields Initiative, is awarding grants of up to $200,000 each to non-profit organizations, local governments, a university, and a tribe. The grants will teach environmental assessment and cleanup job skills to individuals living in low-income areas near brownfields sites in Ala., Calif., La., Mass., N.C., Nev., N.Y., Okla., Pa., and Wash.

Upcoming related events include the following:

Triad Investigations: New Approaches and Innovative Strategies - June 10-12, 2008 in Amherst, MA
The Triad National Conference and Training will feature three full days of conference presentations, Triad training sessions, specialized workshops, an interactive tool room, field equipment demonstrations, exhibitor hall, poster sessions, and an array of networking opportunities. The Conference will include training sessions, platform sessions, and specialized workshops focused on implementation of new tools, approaches, and strategies for hazardous waste site characterization, site remediation, and site redevelopment. The conference also will feature new tools and techniques for sampling and monitoring related to real-time information, continuous monitoring, and long-term monitoring for site closure and stewardship. Best practices and lessons learned will be emphasized throughout the training sessions, platform sessions, and workshops.

8th National Tribal Conference for Environmental Management - June 23-27, (24-26) 2008 in Billings, MT
The goals of this conference are to:

• Improve management capacity of tribes.
• Identify and share lessons learned.
• Shared valued knowledge and experiences of environment and health management.
• Address tribal sovereignty, the federal trust relationship, and social justice.
• Familiarize tribes with Tribal and non-Tribal environmental protection initiatives.

The Foundry Sand in Soils Applications Forum - July 23, 2008 in Columbus, OH
The forum's cosponsors include The Ohio State University, The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The American Foundry Society, and Foundry Industry Recycling Starts Today. Foundry sand from iron, steel, and aluminum foundries is a proven ingredient in manufactured topsoil blends, athletic fields, golf courses and other redevelopment sites needing topsoil. Foundries are often located at or near brownfields and the foundry sand can be a local, free ingredient to manufacture soil at a brownfields site. Use of foundry sand can provide economic and environmental benefits of using them as inputs into new products and as a way to conserve energy and reduce reliance on virgin materials.

24th Annual National Environmental Monitoring Conference - August 11-15, 2008 in Washington, DC
Organized jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The NELAC Institute (TNI) and the Independent Laboratories Institute (ILI), the focus of NEMC 2008 is on new approaches for analyzing conventional and emerging pollutants in water, soil, and air. NEMC brings together scientists and managers from federal and state agencies, the regulated community, and laboratory and engineering support communities. It includes a policy session, technical sessions, training courses, exhibits, and networking opportunities.

ASTSWMO Hazardous Waste Conference - August 11-13, 2008 in San Diego, CA
The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) is an organization supporting the environmental agencies of the States and trust territories. ASTSWMO focuses on the needs of State hazardous waste programs; non-hazardous municipal solid waste and industrial waste programs; sustainability, recycling, waste minimization, and reduction programs; Superfund and State cleanup programs; waste management and cleanup activities at federal facilities; and underground storage tank and leaking underground storage tank programs.

National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Annual Conference - September 9-12, 2008 in Sacramento, CA
"Becoming the Healthiest Nation in a Healthier World" is the thought-provoking and action-oriented theme of the ASTHO-NACCHO 2008 Joint Conference. The conference will serve as a vital and central venue for state and local health officials and their public health partners to examine strategies, share ideas, and plan actions needed to develop and implement an integrated framework for governmental public health designed to help the United States become the healthiest nation in a healthier world.

International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference - September 21-24, 2008, in Richmond, Virginia
Since 1914, ICMA has sponsored an annual conference that enables local government managers and their staffs to network, discuss key management issues, review major local government developments, adopt policy statements, and conduct Association business. Conference keynote addresses, educational sessions, workshops, and field demonstrations provide attendees with an unparalleled opportunity for acquiring new tools and techniques to address the problems facing communities and local government administrators today.