Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 awarded a $1,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.818) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. The award provides funding to capitalize and manage a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) from which CCIDA will issue direct loans and subgrants to eligible property owners and entities for brownfield remediation activities in Chautauqua County, New York. The RLF will address blighted and underutilized real properties complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

Under this agreement, CCIDA will serve as the primary recipient responsible for program administration, including RLF management, competitive procurement of qualified environmental professionals to oversee site activities, development of community involvement plans and administrative records for each remediated site, and marketing the program to interested stakeholders. CCIDA will also develop databases for brownfields site management, execute loan agreements, conduct public outreach, and submit quarterly progress reports and property information to EPA through the Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES). The expected outcomes include remediation of multiple brownfield sites in Chautauqua County communities, with the funding supporting approximately two loans and two subgrants for cleanup activities at four contaminated sites.