The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 awarded $500,000 to the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.818) effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029. The award funds eligible assessment-related activities authorized under CERCLA Section 104(k)(2) in the Lower Schuylkill area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The recipient will conduct environmental site inventory, characterization, and assessment activities; develop site-specific cleanup plans and analysis of brownfield cleanup alternatives; support community involvement through public meetings; and engage qualified environmental professionals to perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments.
Anticipated deliverables include conducting 21 Phase I and 4 Phase II environmental site assessments, holding 8 community meetings, developing 4 site-specific cleanup plans and 4 planning documents to initiate brownfields revitalization, and submitting 16 quarterly progress reports through the EPA's Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES). The award includes no subawards. The intended beneficiaries are residents, business owners, and stakeholders in and near the Lower Schuylkill area.