Brownfields Buzz
Your hub for brownfields spotlights, tools, events, news, and more!
April 2025
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KSU TAB Plans for the Future and Celebrates Its Past
Earlier this month, KSU TAB staff gathered at Kansas State University for a three-day Strategic Planning Retreat, enabling the primarily remote team to connect, collaborate, and create a clear vision for the future of the Center for Hazardous Substance Research (CHSR) and the TAB program it supports.
The final day of the retreat concluded with a celebration of CHSR’s 40th anniversary and Founder Larry Erickson’s 61 years of service to K-State. It was an evening of gratitude and pride, honoring both the Center's history and Dr. Erickson’s remarkable career as a professor, esteemed researcher, and beloved mentor.
| About Dr. Erickson, Founder of CHSR | |
Larry Erickson, CHSR’s founding director, earned the first doctorate in chemical engineering awarded by Kansas State University. Shortly after graduating, he joined the K-State faculty where he taught for more than six decades, coauthored nearly 500 academic papers, mentored graduate students from around the world, launched CHSR, and subsequently laid the foundation for programs like TAB to emerge.
He also directed the Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance Research Center, which received more than $25 million in funding, saved more than $10 in environmental remediation costs for every $1 spent on research, and helped two participating faculty members earn induction into the National Academy of Engineering.
Dr. Erickson facilitates the Dialogues on Sustainability annual webinar series every summer. The 20th annual dialogue will take place on July 19th, 2025.
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Above: Larry Erickson (left) and L.T. Fan, 1960s
Below: Erickson (middle) receives award commemorating his 61 years of Service to KSU, 2025
| | Explore Environmental and Health Data with the EnviroAtlas Interactive Map | | Have you utilized the EnviroAtlas Interactive Map in your brownfield planning? This free, easy-to-use tool from the EPA offers over 500 layers of environmental, health, and community data to support your brownfield redevelopment projects—and best of all, it was designed for users without GIS experience! | | |
Key Features Include:
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Demographic and Health Data: Identify populations that may be vulnerable to environmental hazards, including data on age, income, health outcomes, and access to resources.
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Ecosystem Services: Explore how nearby green spaces, wetlands, and tree cover contribute to air and water quality, flood prevention, and climate resilience—factors that can support redevelopment planning and grant applications.
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Land Cover and Use Data: Visualize current land uses, impervious surfaces, and proximity to water bodies, helping communities prioritize sites for assessment or reuse.
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Short on time?
This 2-minute video highlights the best features of the Interactive Map—so you’ll know exactly where to look the next time you need reliable data in one place.
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Upcoming Webinar: Planning A Successful Fall EPA
Brownfield Grant Application
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Join us for a May 1st webinar with all regional TAB Providers, where we’ll cover everything you need to prepare for the FY26 grants, including:
- Assessment
- Cleanup
- Multipurpose opportunities.
Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 12 - 1:30 PM (EDT)
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May 22nd Webinar: Grant or No Grant?
Let's Navigate Your Next Move
| | TAB’s Dr. Cynthia Annett Receives National Recognition for Environmental Leadership | | |
KSU TAB is thrilled to share that Dr. Cynthia Annett, Research Associate Professor at Kansas State University and longtime KSU TAB team member, has been recognized with two major awards from ASTM International for her outstanding work in environmental science and community resilience.
Congratulations to Cynthia Annett!
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She was named 2024 Professor of the Year, a top honor awarded across all of ASTM’s committees.
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She also received the 2025 Distinguished Service Award for her leadership in creating a new national guide that helps communities understand the impacts of pollution and local weather risks.
The Guide for Climate and Community Mapping—developed with colleagues through ASTM’s environmental committee—makes it easier for governments, organizations, and community groups to identify areas most vulnerable to environmental hazards and prioritize solutions that support community resilience.
Dr. Annett’s work continues to shape how we think about climate, community, and economic sustainability—and we couldn’t be prouder to have her on our team.
Note: Dr. Annett’s work with ASTM is one of her many volunteer professional activities not funded by KSU TAB.
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Follow your KSU TAB Team on LinkedIn and Facebook!
Visit our website at www.ksutab.org.
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