Brownfields Buzz
Your hub for brownfields spotlights, tools, events, news, and more!
May 2026
| | | Red Lodge Community Explores Brownfields Redevelopment Opportunities | | Collage of images showcasing Red Lodge's community visioning session; April 2026. Photographs by Leslie Vanelli, KSU TAB. | | As a result of the flood, FEMA re-drew the floodplain boundaries in Red Lodge, resulting in the Rocky Fork Inn property being designated as a floodway, which prevents permanent, non-permeable improvements. | | Carbon County News recently covered KSU TAB's visit to Red Lodge, Montana, a rural tourist hub in EPA Region 8. KSU TAB team members Kate Lucas and Leslie Vanelli visited the small scenic town and presented the results of KSU TAB’s 2025 planning effort for the North Community Entrance Urban Renewal District (NCE-URD), a 160-acre area located on both sides of Highway 212 at the north end of Red Lodge. Following an update on the NCE-URD project, KSU TAB led a community visioning session for possible reuse of the former Rocky Fork Inn property, which was significantly damaged in a 2022 flood when Rock Creek poured over its banks. | KSU TAB's Kate Lucas speaks on Red Lodge's community vision and TAB's scope of work; April 2026. Photograph by Leslie Vanelli. | |
A survey taken by 211 local individuals showed that:
- 76 percent visit the north entrance district area 1-2 times a week
- 89 percent agreed the area’s development was “important” or “very important”
- The northern entrance should reflect the character and heritage of Red Lodge
As a result of the flood, FEMA re-drew the floodplain boundaries in Red Lodge, resulting in the Rocky Fork Inn property being designated as a floodway, which prevents permanent, non-permeable improvements. The site was acquired by the City of Red Lodge for public use, and demolition of the damaged building was conducted through the Montana DEQ brownfields program in October 2025. At the community meeting, attendees were asked to create a conceptual design for a park on the now-vacant site. Participants used pre-drawn improvements on an aerial view of the site, along with sticky notes and markers, to create their desired park design.
The community engagement meeting was attended by Carbon County News’ Eleanor Guerrero, who published an article on the meeting the following week. KSU TAB’s work in Red Lodge will continue with a Community Engagement Summary Report, which will synthesize attendee’s input and provide recommendations for implementation of the vision established at the meeting.
| | Preparing for FY27 MARC Grants? | | |
EPA has announced anticipated FY27 brownfields grant funding.
Lower funding amounts means a more competitive grant cycle lays ahead, and our team wants to ensure that you're prepared to make redevelopment happen. KSUTAB.org houses a variety of online resources to help your community at every step, including contact info for requesting individualized support.
Current and upcoming opportunities include:
Communities, Tribes, and organizations interested in applying for EPA Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) and Job Training (JT) Grants are encouraged to begin preparing early.
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Webinar | Connecting Job Training, Worker Safety, and Community Revitalization
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Join the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) and EPA Brownfields Job Training (BFJT) Program for a joint webinar exploring how these two initiatives support workforce development, worker safety, and community revitalization efforts across the country.
This session will provide current and prospective partners with a better understanding of how WTP and BFJT operate independently and how they can be leveraged together to strengthen local job training programs and expand opportunities for communities. Participants will hear directly from grantees implementing workforce training in real-world settings and learn about emerging trends shaping the field, including rural health, energy and water infrastructure, and technology-enabled training approaches.
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Webinar | Building Your Brownfields Team
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Join KSU TAB for a two-part webinar focused on building your project team, which will cover the key players from project inception to assessment and redevelopment.
The first part of the series covers the initial phases of the brownfields redevelopment process, including building internal support, identifying community stakeholders, and acquiring the services of a technical expert.
The second part of the series focuses on team members involved in the cleanup and redevelopment phases, including when it's appropriate to engage a real estate or environmental attorney, and how to attract a developer.
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In 2026, Grow America and ICMA is hosting a new, no-cost, in-person training series for EPA Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees nationwide. Hosted in four different regions, this hands-on workshop series brings the Brownfields RLF teams together for focused learning, practical exercises, and peer-to-peer exchange. Each of these day-and-a-half-long workshops provide attendees with core knowledge on working effectively with developers, project pipeline development, underwriting approaches, and RLF process and policies.
Details for final two workshops:
- New Orleans, Louisiana RLF Workshop: October 6-7, 2026 @ The Intercontinental New Orleans
- Clark County, Nevada RLF Workshop: December 8-9, 2026 @ AC Hotel Symphony Park Las Vegas
| | Build Local Workforce Capacity with EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program | To support communities exploring this opportunity, we’ve compiled a set of resources to help you get started: |
| The KSU TAB program is operated through the Center for Hazardous Substance Research (CHSR) at Kansas State University. | | |
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Follow your KSU TAB Team on LinkedIn and Facebook!
Visit our website at www.ksutab.org.
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