Brownfields Program

Environmental Protection. Economic Stewardship

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Indiana Brownfields Program

Welcome to the Indiana Brownfields Program. Our mission is to encourage and assist investment in the redevelopment of Brownfield properties by helping communities via educational, financial, technical and legal assistance to identify and mitigate environmental barriers that impede local economic growth. To receive updates regarding our Program, you may subscribe (and unsubscribe at any time) to our listserv here.

Items of Interest

Funding Availability for FY 2026 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grants

EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) is soliciting applications from eligible entities for Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant funding. These Brownfields Grants allow more vacant and abandoned properties to be turned into community assets that can attract jobs and promote economic revitalization in communities.

All Indiana applicants (other than state/tribal environmental authorities) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for brownfield grant funding must submit with every proposal a current letter from the “State or Tribal Environmental Authority,” which is the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), acknowledging that the applicant plans to perform the proposed activities (e.g., assessment and/or cleanup) and to apply for FFY26 federal brownfields grant funds. Site-specific petroleum eligibility determinations must also be confirmed by IDEM for proposals that address solely petroleum contamination. This form can be used to request both an acknowledgment letter and petroleum eligibility determination, as well as the letter for Cleanup Grant applicants to affirm that a site is ready for remediation.

Only one Request Form per applicant is necessary, even if an entity is applying for more than one U.S. EPA Brownfields grant. To obtain the required letter (and petroleum eligibility determination, if applicable) on IDEM letterhead, the information requested below must be submitted to the Indiana Brownfields Program (Program) no later than January 9, 2026.

All proposals must be submitted electronically to U.S. EPA through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 28, 2026. Note the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional Brownfields Contact listed in the guidelines accordingly. Please email a copy of your final proposal(s) to the Indiana Brownfields Program for its records.

The application submission deadline is January 9, 2026 for the Indiana Brownfields Program and January 28, 2026 for U.S. EPA.

FY 2026 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Guidelines and Application Resources

Pre-Recorded Videos on Minimum Grant Requirements

EPA has pre-recorded video overviews of the FY 2026 grants submission process and Application Information Sheet and threshold requirements for each grant type. Please visit the MARC Grant Application Resources page for the recordings and a copy of the presentations.

Live Outreach Webinars

EPA will provide two guideline outreach webinars to assist applicants with understanding the Narrative criteria for the FY 2026 Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines. There is no need to pre-register for either webinar.

Note, these webinars will cover the Narrative criteria only, not the grant submission process, Application Information Sheet, or threshold requirements.

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, at 12 PM ET - This webinar will focus on the FY 2026 Narrative criteria for entities applying for:

Multipurpose Grant funding
Community-wide Assessment Grant funding
Assessment Coalition Grant funding
Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes funding

Please click the link to join the webinar at https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1604721613

Or join by telephone: 1-646-828-7666; Webinar ID: 160 472 1613

Thursday, December 4th, 2025, at 1 PM ET - This webinar will focus on the FY 2026 Narrative criteria for entities applying for:

Cleanup Grant funding

Please click the link to join the webinar at https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1617087652

Or join by telephone: 1-646-828-7666; Webinar ID: 161 708 7652

A recording of the webinars and the presentations will be made available on the MARC Grant Application Resources at a later date.

If you have questions, please contact the Brownfields Team at brownfields@epa.gov.

Competition Process Webinar

Register today!

The EPA is hosting a webinar for assistance agreement (grant) applicants and recipients. During the webinar, EPA staff will review key aspects of EPA’s grants processes and requirements, and you will have the opportunity to submit questions. You must register at the link above in advance for the webinar using the link provided below.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025: 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

This webinar is intended to help grant applicants learn how to find and successfully apply for competitive EPA grants. The EPA will also provide an overview of the competition process from application through evaluation and selection.

Indiana Brightfields Webinar Series - KSU TAB

Communities in Indiana and around the country are increasingly looking to reactivate their brownfields for clean energy, turning them into “brightfields”. Closed landfills in particular are promising sites for solar and offer communities new opportunities and tax revenue for sites with little to no other reuse options.

This webinar series, organized by the Indiana Brownfields Program, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, will introduce communities to renewable energy as an option for brownfield reuse, discuss permitting and liability concerns, and explore pathways for renewable energy procurement. Each organization offers free, tailored technical assistance to help your community navigate your brightfield project.

Be sure to bring your site-specific questions. The last 30-minutes of each webinar will be reserved for office hours with 1-1 technical assistance.

For more information and to register, click here.

Brightfields 101: Introduction to Brightfields | October 1, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET

Brownfields and closed landfills can be transformed from idle liabilities into community assets that generate renewable electricity. This session will introduce “brightfields” and explain how they can boost local tax revenue, create jobs, and revive underutilized land. We’ll discuss what site characteristics are ideal for renewable energy and hear from an Indiana community on its journey exploring landfill solar. Participants will learn about the technical assistance available from KSU TAB, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, RMI’s Brightfields Accelerator, Indiana Brownfields, and Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Brightfields 201: Permitting and Liability | October 22, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET

Turning a landfill or brownfield into a solar project is possible in Indiana — but only if you navigate the right permitting steps and manage liability. In this session, IDEM and Indiana Brownfields will cover what the state requires for landfill solar reuse, and how to navigate liability.

Brightfields 301: Solar Procurement | November 19, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET

If your site looks like it could support renewable energy, the next step is determining project structure and finding the right developer. This session will cover brightfield ownership and financing options, and procurement basics. Hear from experts about what makes a site attractive, common pitfalls to avoid, and the current market outlook.

E-Submissions

The Indiana Brownfields Program (Program) requests electronic submittals (e-submissions) of documents through the Portal (idem.in.gov/myesubmission). This e-submission site is available for public use and will replace all other forms as the preferred document submittal method. Program staff may, however, still request a hard copy for maps and/or large files.

E-submissions cannot be greater than 75 megabytes (MB). If a file cannot be reduced to less than 75 MB, it should be broken into multiple files. As a reminder, each form/document/report should be saved as a separate pdf, not as one large document as follows: Request Form(s), Cover Letter, Application, User Questionnaire, Reports (Phase I ESA, Phase II ESA, Completion Reports etc.), Deeds, Legal Descriptions/Surveys, and Maps (Maps not already included within a report).

The e-submission site is available to individual email addresses and shared email accounts. To request or modify your e-submission access, please use IDEM’s e-Submission Enrollment Form (idem.in.gov/myesubmission) Once enrolled, instructions on how to submit documents will be provided. Refer to the Brownfields Program Electronic (e-Submission) Folder External User Guide for instructions.

For issues or assistance with the e-submittal process, please contact Haley Faulds at 317-234-0685 or email hfaulds1@ifa.in.gov.

Below is an example of an electronic submittal.**

Please refer to this example of a complete Comfort Letter request.**

Indiana Brownfields Program Story Maps

The Indiana Brownfields Program is excited to share Story Maps it has created for Sites across the state. Story Maps allow us to share success stories by presenting site history, investigation and clean-up activities, and redevelopments in a new and interactive way. To view the Story Map website and explore the various Maps created, please visit:

https://gisdata.in.gov/portal/apps/storymaps/stories/1dd14a1bb6aa403fa83cd2b068448eb0

2025 Brownfield Project Return on Investment (ROI) Survey

The Indiana Brownfields Program is once again collecting important information related to the financial, legal, and technical assistance it provides to our stakeholders. Please complete our survey in one of two ways: 1) Take an on-line survey, or 2) download a fillable PDF form of the survey, complete it, and email it in to the Program. Your feedback is instrumental as we evaluate our services so that we can continue to provide the most beneficial assistance to Indiana communities.

Submit completed surveys to Tracy Concannon of the Indiana Brownfields Program via e-mail at tconcann@ifa.in.gov Call 317-233-2801 with any questions. Thank you for participating.

Click this link to take the Secure Online ROI Survey or

Click this link to download a fillable .pdf form ROI Survey

Refer here for the results of the 2024 Brownfields Project ROI Survey.

Response from 2023 Brownfields Project ROI Survey:

128(a) Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Incentive – Federal Funds

Section 128(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) authorizes EPA to provide funding to States (including US Territories and DC) and Tribes to establish or enhance their environmental response programs. The Indiana Brownfields Program (Program) is offering assessment and remediation funding using 128(a) BIL funds to qualifying applicants and sites on a rolling basis through an application process until funds are fully obligated. Please utilize the Application for 128(a) Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Funding to apply.

Community Applicant Form

Resources:

Site Solicitation for Financial Assistance
The Indiana Brownfields Program (Program) continues to seek sites to evaluate for financial assistance as applicable/appropriate/available. For long-term planning purposes, the Program is interested in learning of brownfields sites in your community that need assessment and/or remediation of hazardous substances and/or petroleum contamination. Please contact the Program to learn how best to help us help you (e.g., U.S. EPA funded TAB Brownfields Inventory Tool per the TAB Program information below).

U.S. EPA Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance grant to Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA).
The CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance program provides support to brownfields communities.
For more information, see http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/pdfs/FY14-K6-Fact-Sheet_CDFA_FINAL.pdf

U.S. EPA-funded Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program

for Free assistance with project planning, grant applications, RFPs, contractor selection, etc.

For local site inventory assistance through TAB, check out https://www.ksutab.org/login?ref=BIT

The January 27, 2021 Building a Brownfields Inventory Using BiT webinar materials are now available and linked below.

AGENDA (PDF) SLIDES (PDF) RECORDING (MP4)

This webinar focused on using the KSU TAB Brownfields Inventory Tool (BiT) to quickly, easily, and conveniently keep track of your brownfield site inventory (e.g., number, location, etc.). The webinar highlighted using BiT with its new features, setting up a Project Area, entering site data, building area maps of the brownfields sites in your community, and using the BiT/ACRES interface to report your U.S. EPA Brownfields grant data (as applicable). Stakeholders that would find this valuable include Local Governments, Coalitions, Nonprofits, and Planners.

State Revolving Fund Loan Program Funding:

Brownfields Remediation Nonpoint Source Incentives Fact Sheet

Eligible projects include the cleanup of Brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous substances that impact surface or ground water quality. Integrating a brownfields project with a wastewater infrastructure project lowers the interest rate for a loan by up to 0.5 percent, making available additional funds that can be applied to qualified nonpoint source activities.

Tax Incentives that involve the Indiana Brownfields Program.

Tax Incentives that could involve but are outside the Indiana Brownfields Program include Opportunity Zones - learn more here.

U.S. EPA Brownfields Guidance Documents available here on our Resources page. Also, the U.S. EPA guidance web portal that provides links to all of U.S. EPA's active guidance documents is now accessible at https://www.epa.gov/guidance. Note that the guidance documents are organized by U.S. EPA Headquarters and Regional offices, e.g., Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) at Headquarters. Most recent documents are listed first. On the Office page, you’ll also see a text box that includes a link to submit a petition for modification or withdrawal of guidance documents.

Meeting with us?

Downtown Indianapolis Parking & Security Changes
DOWNTOWN PARKING
Due to increases in the number of state employees who work at the Indiana Government Center, especially during the legislative session, public parking in the Senate Avenue and Washington Street Government Center garages has been discontinued.
Anyone visiting the Government Center for meetings or conferences will need to seek other parking options. Information about other downtown parking options can be found at: https://www.downtownindy.org/get-around-downtown/park
Map to Indiana Brownfields Program office