EPA Announces $1.5 Million in Grants to Assess and Clean up Communities Across Puerto Rico

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that three recipients across Puerto Rico have been selected to receive $1.5 million in Brownfields rants to assess, clean up, and revitalize local lands. These investments support locally driven redevelopment, unlocking economic opportunity, creating jobs, and improving public health outcomes in communities in Puerto Rico. These will keep critical momentum going in communities already benefiting from Brownfields investments, ensuring continued progress toward safe and reusable land.

“I thank Regional Administrator Martucci and the EPA for their continued support in advancing Puerto Rico’s priorities and economic development,” said Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González-Colón. “These Brownfield grants represent an opportunity to allow the municipalities of Orocovis, Toa Alta and local organizations to clean up contaminated sites and transform them into spaces that uplift communities and generate economic activity. This investment from EPA is yet another example of what strong federal partnerships can achieve for the island.”

“These grants are smart investments for revitalizing communities across Puerto Rico,” said Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Pablo José Hernández Rivera. “I’m pleased to announce this $1.5 million in funding for Orocovis, Toa Alta, and the Center for Habitat Construction that will help clean up contamination, attract new development, and improve public health. I look forward to continuing to support our municipalities and organizations, so they remain well-positioned to compete for federal resources.”

EPA has made these selections based on a competitive process. Selectees in Puerto Rico are:

The Center for Habitat Reconstruction in Puerto Rico has been selected to receive $500,000 to conduct up to nine environmental site assessments. The funding will also support reuse planning and community engagement activities, including nine community meetings. The target area for this grant includes the Municipalities of Vega Baja, Toa Baja, and Hormigueros. Priority sites for assessment include a former uniform factory in Hormigueros, a former school in Toa Baja, and a former industrial park in Vega Baja.

The Municipality of Orocovis, Puerto Rico has been selected to receive $500,000 to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, as well as conduct ten environmental site assessments. The funding will also support the development of up to ten cleanup plans and community engagement activities.

The target area for this grant is the Municipality’s Northern District. Priority sites include a 3.3-acre former clothing factory, a 16.9-acre former vocational center, and four former schools ranging from 1.6 to 35.3 acres.

The Municipality of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico has been selected to receive $500,000 to inventory and prioritize sites, as well as conduct 23 environmental site assessments. The funding will also support the development of up to ten cleanup plans and community engagement activities.

The target area for this grant is the Municipality’s Former Industrial Zone. Priority sites include a 1.3-acre former coffin factory, a 75.3-acre former industrial park, a 2-acre former carton factory, and a 2.2-acre former trucking depot.

Brownfields grants are a powerful catalyst for local economic growth. Communities in Puerto Rico have used previous EPA grants to assess, cleanup, and attract new development. Nationally, Brownfields funding delivers proven results:

• 13.9 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds spent
• $20.45 for each $1 of EPA Brownfields funding expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund grants.
• Property values near cleaned-up sites increase by 5-15.2% with an estimated gain of $500,000 to $1.5 million in total property values
• Increase of $29-97 million in local tax revenue in just the first year post-cleanup, per a study done in 2017.

EPA’s Brownfields Program helps transform underutilized and blighted properties into community assets – empowering neighborhoods, protecting health, and sparking lasting economic change.

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization grant opportunities.

Background  

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.6 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $34 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 175,500 jobs.

List of the FY 2025 Applicants Selected for Funding: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applications-selected-fy-2025-brownfields-assessment-revolving-loan-fund-rlf-cleanup

For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

EPA anticipates that it will make these awards once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected recipients.