FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 17, 2014) – The Energy and Environment Cabinet is making available $140,000 in grant funding for local governments, nonprofits and quasi-governmental agencies for projects that clean up brownfield properties, including old factories, former gas stations, and other properties that are abandoned or underutilized due to environmental contamination. The Department for Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Kentucky Brownfield Redevelopment Program is offering the grants through the Cleaner Commonwealth Fund. The fund is a grant-and-loan fund established with an $850,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund grant. “With the Cleaner Commonwealth Fund, cleanup grants provide the necessary funds to Kentucky communities to stimulate economic development, protect the environment and improve the lives of the people living in the communities,” said DEP Commissioner Bruce Scott. Eligible entities can apply for up to $50,000 in funding for qualifying properties where required assessment and acquisition processes were followed. For a site to be eligible, the applicant must have performed all appropriate inquiries (phase I assessment) within the sixmonth period prior to the purchase of the property and met bona fide prospective purchaser guidelines. There are exceptions for some cases of involuntary acquisition. Details can be found in the request-for-proposal document. Proposals must be postmarked by April 18, 2014. Application documents and supporting materials can be found on the Kentucky Brownfield Redevelopment Program website at dca.ky.gov/brownfields/Pages/Cleanercommonwealthfund.aspx. Funding announcements will be made in May, and projects will start July 1, 2014. Another round of grants will be available this fall. A loan program, which will be open to public, private and nonprofit entities, will be launched in 2015. For questions, please contact Herb Petitjean or Amanda LeFevre at 800-926- 8111
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