Brownfields Buzz

Your hub for brownfields spotlights, tools, events, news, and more!

September 2026

Spotlight

From “Big Red” to a New Beginning in Belgrade

For more than a century, an eight-story grain elevator known locally as “Big Red” has stood over Belgrade, Montana. Built around the turn of the 20th century—before Belgrade was incorporated—the former grain elevator later operated as a fertilizer facility before eventually falling out of use.

Now, a $1 million EPA Brownfields Grant could help give the 11,000-square-foot landmark a new life. According to Belgrade Economic Development Director Katherine King, the five-year grant will support efforts to study the property, determine what cleanup is needed, and preserve the historic structure while exploring opportunities for its future reuse.

Before receiving the award, the city of Belgrade worked with KSU TAB, which reviewed the city’s Multipurpose Grant application as part of its technical assistance.

What comes next has yet to be decided. If cleanup is completed, Belgrade plans to consider multiple possibilities for the building’s reuse, with community input playing a central role in determining its future.

Toolbox

TAB EZ: A Quick Tutorial

Getting ready to apply for an EPA Brownfields Grant? TAB EZ can help you develop and organize your application from start to finish.

Watch this short tutorial to learn how to access TAB EZ, set up your project, and use the e-tool to support your grant application.

Watch the Tutorial.

EPA Brownfields Grant Guidelines Expected Soon — Stay Tuned for Tailored Resources

The EPA’s FY2027 ARC Grant guidelines are anticipated to be released soon. Once they’re available, KSU TAB will follow up with resources and technical assistance designed to help communities understand the guidelines, prepare strong applications, and navigate the grant process.



Resources and support will include:

• TAB EZ Update — Our free grantwriting tool will be updated to align with the FY2027 ARC Grant guidelines and help applicants develop their proposals step by step.
• Grant Resource Documents — Quick-reference materials with essential contacts, helpful hints, and other information to support applicants throughout the process.
• Grantwriting Webinars — Virtual training opportunities focused on the FY2027 guidelines, application requirements, and strategies for preparing a strong proposal.
• Regional Office Hours — Opportunities to connect directly with KSU TAB staff, ask questions, and get guidance specific to your application.
• Grant Application Reviews — KSU TAB staff will review draft applications and provide feedback to help applicants strengthen their proposals before submission.

Stay tuned! We’ll share these resources and opportunities as they become available following the release of the FY2027 ARC Grant guidelines.

National TAB Webinar: Overcoming Common Pitfalls in EPA Brownfields ARC Grants

EPA Brownfields ARC grants offer powerful tools for community revitalization, but applying for funding can be challenging. 

Join your National TAB providers for a practical look at the most common missteps seen across Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grant applications and how to avoid them. 

Walk away with practical strategies to keep your grant application on track and your community's revitalization goals moving forward.



October 15 | 11 a.m. CDT | Virtual

In 2026, Grow America and ICMA are 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 the 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

Perfect Pitch Applications Open October 5!

Three selected organizations will pitch their projects to redevelopment experts and a live audience for the opportunity to receive customized technical assistance valued at up to $50,000.

Applications open October 5. Stay tuned for details on how to apply!

Applicants must be available to participate in the Perfect Pitch Competition at the National Brownfields Training Conference in Salt Lake City, May 25–28, 2027.

EPA Brownfields Funding Heads to Kansas City, Kansas

A major cleanup effort is moving forward in the Douglass-Sumner neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. With new EPA Brownfields funding, the Unified Government plans to address contamination on vacant residential properties and help prepare the neighborhood for future reinvestment.



Read the full story from The Beacon to learn more about the project and what the funding could mean for the neighborhood!

Mark Your Calendars for Brownfields 2027

The National Brownfields Training Conference will return May 25–28, 2027, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by EPA and ICMA, the conference is the nation's largest event focused on the intersection of brownfields redevelopment, land revitalization, and economic growth.

Registration is expected to open in Fall 2026.

Visit gobrownfields.org for conference updates and additional information.

The KSU TAB program is operated through the Center for Hazardous Substance Research (CHSR) at Kansas State University.

Follow your KSU TAB Team on LinkedIn and Facebook!

Visit our website at www.ksutab.org.