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Brownfields Program

Environmental Protection. Economic Stewardship

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 at the bottom of this and every page under "State Information, Email Updates - GovDelivery" or simply click here.

Items of Interest


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.

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.**


Grant Application Assistance

EPA held a Competition Process Webinar in December to help grant applicants learn how to find and successfully apply for competitive EPA grants. EPA also provided an overview of the competition process from application through evaluation and selection. The recorded webinar, presentation slides, FAQs, and helpful links information are provided on their web page below.

Competition Process Webinar - December 4, 2023 | US EPA


Upcoming Webinars and Presentations

Thursday, February 22nd @ 12:00 pm EST
Indiana Government Center South (Conference Center Auditorium)
402 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Join MSECA on Thursday, February 22nd, for an in-person educational event with a number of great presentations from IDEM including an IDEM Update from IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess.

Anyone can register for MSECA here.

Competition Process

Tuesday, March 26, 2024: 1:00-2:00pm ET

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

Procurement, Subawards, and Participant Support Costs


Wednesday, March 27, 2024: 11:30-12:30pm ET

This training will cover procurement regulations and requirements. Specific topics include: best practices for contracts, consultants, equipment, and supply purchases; review of subawards (grant awards provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient); and participant support costs (payments to individuals who participate in grant activities but are not employees of the grant recipient). Register here.

New EPA Davis-Bacon Grant Term and Condition


Thursday, March 28, 2024: 12:30-1:30pm ET

This training will discuss EPA’s new Davis-Bacon Term and Condition that is required for certain programs that involve construction activities. Register here.


Pre-Recorded Videos on Minimum Grant Requirements

EPA has pre-recorded videos to provide an overview of the FY 2024 grants submission process and Narrative Information Sheet and threshold requirements. 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 ranking criteria for the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines.

Note, EPA will not provide an overview of the grant submission process and Narrative Information Sheet and threshold requirements during the live webinars.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 12 PM ET - This webinar will focus on the FY 2024 Narrative ranking 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/1602838047

Or join by telephone: 1-646-828-7666; Webinar ID: 160 283 8047

Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 1 PM ET - This webinar will focus on the FY 2024 Narrative ranking criteria for entities applying for:

  • Cleanup Grant funding

Please click the link to join the webinar at https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1600119960

Or join by telephone: 1-646-828-7666; Webinar ID: 160 011 9960

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


Preparing for Brownfields Grants

RMI and Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields program (KSU TAB) are pleased to announce our first-ever, workshop mini-series: "Preparing for Brownfields Grants with Clean Energy Reuse in Mind”. This will kick off October 3rd as part of a 4-workshop program. We are inviting each of you to spread the word to your communities regarding clean energy and sustainability goals!

What Can You Expect?

Like our sessions last fall, these are also not webinars; this will be an interactive mini-series of virtual workshops designed to:

  1. Equip you with strategies for incorporating clean energy reuse into EPA brownfields grants due November 13th, 2023
  2. Learn about funding and financing options for clean energy projects

Who Is This For?

This cohort is specifically tailored to those interested in pursuing EPA brownfields grants and other state and federal funding for clean energy reuse. While it's beneficial to have one or more sites in mind for assessment, cleanup, and/or reuse, it's not a requirement for participation. Participants must be from public or non-profit entities and located within EPA Regions 5, 6, 7 or 8 (Map of EPA Region) and Tribal communities.

Key Details:

  • When: Up to 4 workshops through December 2023, starting Oct 3rd.
  • Where: All workshops will be hosted virtually via Zoom.
  • Cost: None
  • Register: To register for the first workshop and this series, please use this link here.

This mini-series will start with general education and tips for grant preparation and then progress into more tailored feedback on specific plans/applications. Accordingly, we strongly encourage participants to attend all the sessions as each workshop will build on the previous workshops. The first 3 workshops will focus on preparing for the EPA brownfields grants and how/whether to include clean energy as a reuse for some sites. The final workshop will be after the November 13th EPA deadline and be focused on broader funding and financing strategies for brightfields projects.


Indiana Brownfields Program StoryMaps

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


2023 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 Sara Westrick Corbin of the Indiana Brownfields Program via e-mail at scorbin1@ifa.in.gov. Call 317-234-1688 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 2022 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:


Arbor Day Foundation Phytoremediation Service

 

Arbor Day Foundation is now offering no-cost assessments to communities with contaminated sites. Through this assessment, municipal leaders can learn more about whether sites of concern in their community are suitable for cleanup through the planting of trees (phytoremediation). For qualifying sites, Arbor Day Foundation will connect site stakeholders with technical resources to help further assess, quote, design, and implement phytoremediation. This program began in March 2021 and will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information or to schedule a meeting about using phytoremediation, check out https://www.arborday.org/partnerships/phytoremediation/?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=phytoremediation-summer-2021&Wherefrom=PressRelease.


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 brownfield 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).


Read the Brownfields Bulletin Summer 2022 Issue

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones (OZ)s designated in select communities are tax incentives for private investors that can facilitate brownfield redevelopment.  Learn more here.


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.

The January 27, 2021 Building a Brownfield 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 Brownfield 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 brownfield sites in your community, and using the BiT/ACRES interface to report your U.S. EPA Brownfield grant data (as applicable). Stakeholders that would find this valuable include Local Governments, Coalitions, Nonprofits, and Planners.


State Revolving Fund Loan Program Funding:

Brownfield Remediation Nonpoint Source Incentives Fact Sheet

Eligible projects include the cleanup of brownfield sites contaminated with hazardous substances that impact surface or ground water quality. Integrating a brownfield 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 Brownfield 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

Public Notices