Environmental Justice

EPA’s Brownfields Program is committed to ensuring that residents of communities affected by economic disinvestment, health disparities and environmental contamination have an opportunity to meaningfully engage in and benefit from brownfields planning, assessment, cleanup and reuse.

To promote environmental justice across the country, we are committed to helping communities revitalize brownfield properties, mitigate potential health risks and promote economic vitality.

How EPA’s Brownfields Program Supports Environmental Justice

EPA defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Environmental justice is a foundational element of EPA’s Brownfields Program.

Environmental Justice in Brownfields Grants

EPA considers the health and welfare of communities when selecting applicants to receive competitive Brownfields Grants based on the information provided in their applications. Per the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, EPA must consider the extent to which a grant would address or facilitate the identification and reduction of threats to the health or welfare of children, pregnant women, minority or low-income communities or other sensitive populations.

Additionally, EPA must consider the extent to which a grant will meet the needs of a community that has an inability to draw on other sources of funding for environmental remediation and subsequent redevelopment of a brownfield site because of its low population or income. EPA must also consider the extent to which the grant provides for involvement of the local community in the process of making decisions related to cleanup and future use of a brownfield site.

Funding and resources made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law by former President Biden on November 15, 2021, has enabled EPA to provide additional grant support to underserved communities. This funding is helping overburdened communities to begin addressing the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and repositioning these properties for investment and revitalization.

Since the BIL was enacted in 2021, EPA has awarded 503 Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grants. Of these, 81 percent (405 awards) went to communities identified as disadvantaged by Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. This exceeds the goals set by former President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the benefits of certain government investments to underserved and overburdened communities. 

Additional EPA Brownfields Resources for Promoting Environmental Justice

• Through its Technical Assistance to Brownfields providers, EPA provides targeted technical assistance at no cost to communities with environmental justice challenges.
• EPA’s Targeted Brownfields Assessment program provides no-cost site assessments to help communities advance efforts to clean up and reuse brownfields.
• Communities may also reach out to their State or Tribal Response Program for assistance with addressing brownfields.

Integrating Environmental Justice into Brownfields Projects

EPA’s Brownfields Program is committed to helping communities advance environmental justice in their assessment, cleanup and reuse of brownfields by:

• Supporting meaningful community engagement and involvement of residents affected by your brownfields project.
• Partnering with community-based organizations.
• Offering equitable access to amenities such as health clinics and grocery stores.
• Reusing brownfield sites for greenspace and other healthy, safe and walkable areas, such as urban gardens and parks.
• Discussing and considering local climate risks and promoting community resilience against climate change.
• Including climate-resilient features in your reuse plan.
• Identifying, reducing or removing community features that contribute to health disparities
• Implementing policies or strategies to prevent or minimize the displacement of residents and businesses potentially resulting from brownfields redevelopment.
• Ensuring access to affordable housing.
• Creating jobs with living wages.
• Establishing first-source hiring ordinances, such as efforts to employ low-income residents.
• Working with and helping to expand minority- and women-owned businesses.

These principles help low-income and minority residents in areas impacted by blighted properties and environmental contamination take advantage of brownfields assessment, cleanup, redevelopment and reuse.