FY26 Grantee Spotlight: Whitman County, WA

The Port of Whitman County was selected for a $4M EPA Cleanup grant to continue work to remediate and reuse sites contaminated from previous industrial use. A 2023 community-wide assessment grant identified areas of concern, including the former Rogers Brothers Seed Co. property adjacent to the Colfax Junior-Senior High School. The port identified the site as the ideal location for a new childcare center.

Currently, old structures on the site are being demolished to make way for clean up of contaminants of concern in the soil, including pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and petroleum constituents, and hazardous building materials including asbestos-containing material (ACM) and lead-based paint. The cleanup will pave the way for safe and beneficial redevelopment.

Next Steps for FY26 MARC Applicants

Congratulations to the 30 selectees from EPA Regions 9 and 10 who collectively secured more than $51.6 million in grants! FY26 was a very competitive grant year with more than 554 MARC applications submitted nationwide. If you secured an FY26 grant, did not receive funding, or are thinking about applying to a future round of funding, read about next steps on CCLR News.

Groundwork USA and the Center for Creative Land Recycling Are Accepting applications for Nonprofit Land Reuse Learning Cohort

The Nonprofit Land Reuse Learning Cohort is a FREE six-month program designed to help nonprofits and community orgs effectively lead brownfield site reuse projects – with a strong focus on community-centered engagement.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your brownfield reuse journey, this cohort will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and support you need to create change in your community.

Applications are now open! Read more about the program and apply today.

In case you missed it:

New guest blog from CCLR’s Company Member Greenberg Glusker, LLP

Brian E. Moskal explains what potential brownfield buyers should consider when evaluating industrial or commercial properties in Understanding CERCLA Liability: What Property Owners Need to Know Before Buying a Brownfield

Access slides and recordings from CCLR’s latest webinar Everything You Need to Know About Crafting a Competitive Brownfields Job Training (BFJT) Grant Application

Idaho DEQ is looking for candidates with a strong environmental background to fill a Brownfields Analyst position in the Coeur d’Alene Regional Office. 

This position provides support to communities in the 10 northern counties of Idaho to complete environmental assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment projects to promote economic development and protection of public health. Direct experience with the EPA Brownfields program is not mandatory. Candidates with a background in environmental science, engineering, land development, and/or regulatory compliance are encouraged to apply. Applications due August 11, 2026. Read more.

The Federal Reserve is surveying conditions in low- and moderate-income communities through August 14. By participating in this survey, you will provide useful data to policymakers and support community development. Responses will be kept confidential. Respond here.

Brownfields Reuse Planning for an Affordable Energy Future

Thursday August 13, 10:00 a.m. PT on Zoom:

How Brightfields Can Support Affordable Energy Planning

The second webinar in this virtual workshop series, organized by CCLR’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields team and the RMI’s Brightfields Accelerator, will introduce communities to renewable energy as an option for brownfield reuse and break down the available incentives, market, and financial pathways to help communities and site owners plan for brightfields.

Alaska Forum, EPA and the State of Alaska: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and 40-Hour HAZWOPER Trainings

• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training: August 17-18, BP Energy Center, Anchorage, AK
• 40-Hour Hazwoper Training: September 21-25, EMI Offices in Midtown Anchorage or Online

Read more and register.

Project for Public Spaces Placemaking: Making It Happen

Tuesdays & Thursdays, Sept 15–Oct 1, 2026

Online training to learn essential placemaking principles and tools to implement and manage a public space improvement project. Learn more & register.

Business Oregon 2026 Industrial Site Loan Fund (ISLF) - Request for Applications (RFA) closes Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PDT

USCM Healthy and Sustainable Communities Grants - due August 14, 2026

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) National Park Service (NPS) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program - applications due by November 1, 2026

Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Technical Assistance - Rolling Applications

US EPA Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Grants - multiple deadlines

Washington Department of Commerce's Infrastructure Grants - multiple deadlines

Washington Department of Commerce's Building Communities Fund Program

• Eligibility test (first part of application) deadline: August 18, 2026 at 4 p.m. PT
• Application deadline: August 20, 2026 at 4 p.m. PT

EPA R10 Accepting Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) Applications

New projects are accepted on a rolling basis — complete the application form and email it to EPA Region 10's TBA Coordinator, Molly Vaughan: vaughan.molly@epa.gov. Molly can also be reached for questions about the program at (907) 271-1215. Learn more in this fact sheet.

EPA: A Healthier Place to Live: Centering public health in brownfields reuse can improve community health, promote a healthier workforce, and improve community satisfaction. View this EPA Spanish and English Visual Resource to learn more.

CA Strategic Growth Council’s Tribal Funding Booklet includes information about timelines, eligibility, Tribal funding priorities, and previously awarded Tribal projects.

The Tribal Funding Registry (TFR) is a free, Native-led platform designed to help Tribal Nations and Native-led nonprofits identify and pursue funding opportunities. Join and learn more here. 

EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Grant Program Participant Tracking Workbook is designed to help grantees track and prepare data for quarterly progress reports, as required by the terms and conditions of their grant.