Brownfields Grant Resources
About
Local government entities and certain nonprofit organizations within North Carolina may be eligible for assistance through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program. The information below is intended to help communities understand available resources and navigate the federal Brownfields application process.
News Items
NC DEQ Brownfields Redevelopment Section Awarded a $2MM CWAG-ST Grant
In 2022, DEQ BRS was awarded $2 million from a Community-Wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes (CWAG-ST) grant in which funds have been used to cover 10 Phase I ESAs, 15 Phase II ESAs, 3 Structural Evaluations, and 2 Environmental Management Plans.
This winter, BRS has applied for another $2 million Assessment grant to complete site assessments across the entire state. DEQ will continue to use these grant funds for environmental assessments (Phase I ESA, Phase II ESA, etc.), reuse planning, community engagement, and grant management. The priority area will encompass the entire State, which is a shift from the previous assessment grant's limited target areas.
DEQ Division of Waste Management Awarded Helene Recovery Grant
In September 2025, DEQ’s Division of Waste Management (DWM) was awarded funding from EPA through the Hurricane Helene Supplemental Appropriation for Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste Management Financial Assistance Grant as a supplemental recovery grant to support recovery efforts. This funding was authorized as part of the American Relief Act of 2025. DEQ BRS is actively seeking sites that have become idled following Hurricane Helene.
NC DEQ Brownfields Redevelopment Section Grants
In 2022, DEQ BRS was awarded $2 million from a Community-Wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes (CWAG-ST) grant in which funds have been used to cover 10 Phase I ESAs, 15 Phase II ESAs, 3 Structural Evaluations, and 2 Environmental Management Plans.
This fall, BRS is applying for another $2 million Assessment grant to complete site assessments across the entire state. DEQ will continue to use these grant funds for environmental assessments (Phase I ESA, Phase II ESA, etc.), reuse planning, community engagement, and grant management.
Ideal sites would be municipality-owned/operated/of interest for municipality purchase, hindered by real/perceived contamination, have geospatial indicators of potential climate change risk, and be in an area of targeted growth with economic development potential. The priority area will encompass the entire State, which is a shift from the previous assessment grant's three target areas. Sites may also have a developer interested in cooperating with municipalities for redevelopment opportunities.
This Summer, DEQ BRS has collaborated with other DEQ Sections within the Division of Waste Management (DWM) and received a non-competitive EPA Helene Recover grant. Over $60 million will be used to assist countless communities within the affected disaster areas. DEQ BRS is actively seeking sites that have become idled following Hurricane Helene.
- The DEQ Brownfields Redevelopment Section (BRS) has funds available to assist property owners and communities with:
Environmental Site Assessments - Remediation
- Community Planning Efforts
- Feasibility Studies
Key Requirement: Property must have been in productive use at the time of Helene and is now idled as a result.
Ideal properties for assessment would be sites with environmental concern such as former industrial property, gas stations, dry cleaners, fill sites, etc. that require evaluation or remediation prior to reuse. The result of these assessments will aid recovery by providing options for redeveloping contaminated sites.
Selection criteria will include:
- Geospatial Indicators (e.g.risk of future flooding)
- Benefit to Community
- Economic Impact
EPA Brownfields Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) provide up to $20,000 to eligible communities for independent technical assistance related to brownfield sites. TAG funds may be used to hire qualified technical advisors to help communities understand environmental conditions, interpret assessment results, evaluate cleanup options, or conduct market research and reuse planning. TAGs are intended to support meaningful community engagement by ensuring residents and local leaders have access to expert guidance during the brownfields assessment and redevelopment process.
In North Carolina, communities interested in TAG support should review EPA eligibility requirements and coordinate with the NC DEQ Brownfields Redevelopment Section for assistance.
Providing access to grant related documents is a priority. All grant related work is saved on the Laserfiche WebLink repository. To access completed CWAG-ST Grant files, go to the Laserfiche WebLink and type in 000MARC in the "Search in WebLink" search bar.
Types of documents that will be stored here include:
- DEQ Grant Work Plan
- Community Involvement Plan
- Stakeholder meeting presentation slides
- Stakeholder meeting recordings (if available, not all are recorded)
- Site specific project files
Part of our outreach efforts include preparation of annual newsletters! These newsletters are targeted to municipalities, regional councils of government, and other entities interested in Brownfields redevelopment across NC! Click the links below to view recent issues.
To subscribe to receive the annual newsletter, email jordan.thompson@deq.nc.gov.
Quarterly Brownfields Community Network (BCN) Quarterly Meeting - October
FY25 Community-Wise Assessment Grant for States and Tribes (CWAG-ST) grant Application guidelines release - TBA
- Environmental assessments (Phase I and Phase II ESAs)
- Reuse planning
- Community engagement
- Grant administration
- Environmental Manangement Plans
- Structural evaluations
Brownfields Community Network and Outreach
Our stakeholder group consists of local governments, regional councils of governments, DEQ staff and others. We meet quarterly to discuss progress reports on grant activities and frequently have guest speakers to talk about additional resources available.
Interested in attending the stakeholder meetings, getting on the newsletter mailing list, or finding out if your community qualifies for an assessment? Would you like someone from the DEQ Brownfields Redevelopment Section to speak at your event? Contact the grant coordinator, Jordan Thompson at jordan.thompson@deq.nc.gov or 704-223-6549 .
Recordings of Past Meetings
Recordings of past meetings may be found in our online document repository which can be accessed at the link below:
If you would like to receive information on BRS grant related items such as upcoming community meetings/training opportunities, applications, or other grant/community specific news, then enter the requested information below. Note this is a separately maintained list from the DEQ BRS Stakeholders, which is geared toward for-profit development teams such as developers, environmental consultants, and attorneys.
Additional Resources for Communities and Future Applicants
- The Development Finance Initiative (DFI) at the UNC School of Government provides specialized finance and development expertise to local governments seeking to attract private investment, particularly for sites where redevelopment has been challenging. DFI partners with communities on:
- Building reuse and downtown revitalization
- Community and neighborhood development
- Economic development initiatives
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program periodically solicits grant applications for projects that improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development in rural areas.
- The EPA administers small Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) through state Brownfields programs. Each state may receive one TAG, awarded in the amount of $20,000, to support technical advisory services or market research for eligible communities. North Carolina’s 2021 TAG recipient was the Town of Mayodan, for which the state submitted an application on the community’s behalf. Communities interested in pursuing TAG support should review EPA eligibility criteria and contact one of the EPA liaisons listed below.
Recent Grantees
The EPA press release and detailed and searchable information on the following grantees may be found here: https://java.epa.gov/acrespub/gfs/.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact our EPA Liaisons listed below:
Jordan Thompson: by phone at 704-223-6549 (cell); or by email at jordan.thompson@deq.nc.gov
Kaili Matiaco: by phone at 910-508-2214 (cell); or by email at kaili.matiaco@deq.nc.gov