Brownfields Buzz
Your hub for brownfields spotlights, tools, events, news, and more!
February 2026
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Currents of Connection StoryMap | | | | In the fall of 2025, a class of Kansas State University mid-level landscape architecture students, led by Associate Professor Blake Belanger, collaborated with KSU TAB and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County & Kansas City, Kansas to develop visionary concepts for the future of the Armourdale neighborhood. | | Photomontage of the Steel Line District design proposal, created by students Ariel Gish, Jillian Routhieaux, and Katelyn Hays. | | |
The Currents of Connection StoryMap brings together a set of community-informed design concepts that respond to local infrastructure challenges and redevelopment priorities in a Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood. It shows how brownfields sites can be evaluated not just for cleanup, but for long-term community use—integrating stormwater management, public space, mobility, and economic opportunity into future land use.
The StoryMap also demonstrates how university partnerships can strengthen early-stage brownfields planning. Students and faculty, working alongside your regional TAB provider, can help gather data, map site conditions, and develop initial concepts that communities can use to inform funding applications, community engagement, and next steps. It’s a practical way to build momentum without significant upfront cost, and KSU TAB can help connect communities to these resources and support implementation.
| | Explore the KSU TAB YouTube Channel | | |
Did you know KSU TAB has a YouTube channel with more than 50 videos designed to support your brownfields work?
Our channel features recorded webinars, grant writing guidance, E-Tools demonstrations, and topical training content organized into easy-to-navigate playlists, including:
- Brownfields Foundations & Basics
- Grant Funding & Management
- Redevelopment: Community, Economic & Finance
- Resilience, Green Infrastructure & Energy
- Tribal Brownfields resources
- E-Tools tutorials and walkthroughs
Whether you’re new to brownfields or looking to strengthen your next project or grant application, these videos provide practical, on-demand support from the KSU TAB team and our partners.
Visit and subscribe to KSU TAB | Technical Assistance to Brownfields on YouTube to access the full library and stay up to date as new content is added.
| | Register for our E-Tools Webinar | | |
Join us for a webinar highlighting KSU TAB’s suite of free E-Tools, designed to support planning, grant writing, and redevelopment decision-making:
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BiT – A brownfields inventory and environmental program management database with mapping and activity tracking
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TAB EZ – An EPA Brownfields MARC Grant assistance tool that helps streamline the grant-writing process
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Community Benefits Calculator – A financial evaluation tool to explore public investment and redevelopment impacts
This session will walk through how these tools can be used to support brownfields reuse efforts in your community.
| | Build Local Workforce Capacity with EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program | |
Communities across the country are using EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (JT) Program to connect local residents with careers in environmental remediation, construction, and community revitalization—while directly supporting the cleanup and reuse of local brownfield sites.
For organizations interested in launching or strengthening a job training program, success depends not just on funding, but strong partnerships, thoughtful program design, and clear pathways to employment.
To support communities exploring this opportunity, we’ve compiled a set of resources to help you get started:
| Even if you’re just beginning to explore workforce development opportunities, KSU TAB can help you assess readiness, identify partners, and map out next steps toward a Brownfields Job Training program. |
EPA Announces Supplemental Funding for Brownfields RLF Grants | |
EPA is announcing an estimated $25 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to supplement eligible Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grants.
Eligible Cooperative Agreement Recipients (CARs) who may request supplemental funds are those that have an open Brownfields RLF grant that was awarded competitively under Section 104(k)(3) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or that have transitioned to Section 104(k)(3) of CERCLA, and subject to other identified criteria.
The deadline to submit a request is March 16, 2026.
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5 Active Transportation Academy Scholarships Remaining in 2026 — Apply Today! | | |
Scholarship Details:
KSU TAB will offer up to 15 scholarships for the 2026 Active Transportation Academies.
Scholarship covers:
- Meals, snacks, drinks
- Bike + helmet rental
- Ground transportation during the academy
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Single-occupancy accommodations at Trailhead Mews (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- All course materials, facilitation, and supplies
- Branded backpack, water bottle, and notebook
Note: Transportation to and from Bentonville is at the participant’s expense.
Learn more on Laneshift's website or check out the most recent ATA recap video to see what your ATA experience could look like.
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Visit our website at www.ksutab.org.
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