U.S. and Canadian National Agencies | Great Lakes Region

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
U.S. EPA is charged with safeguarding the natural environment through the enforcement of regulations and the development of options for sustainable development such as brownfields. Their brownfields homepage links to a wealth of resources and information on brownfields. EPA Regional Offices work directly with Great Lakes states. Region 2 works with New York, Region 3 works with Pennsylvania and Region 5 works with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. U.S. EPA also manages an email listserve on brownfield issues.

Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
BEDI is a competitive grant program that HUD administers to assist cities with the redevelopment of abandoned, idled and underused industrial and commercial facilities burdened by real or potential environmental contamination.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps provides support to two federal initiatives: National Brownfield Cleanup and Redevelopment and Building Livable Communities.

U.S. Department of Commerce
Within the Department of Commerce are two entities that have direct involvement with brownfields. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration works with EPA to support brownfields cleanup and redevelopment in coastal communities. The Economic Development Administration helps distressed communities address problems associated with long-term economic deterioration.

Canadian Brownfields Network
The Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) aims to advance communications and provide networking opportunities for brownfield redevelopment and site remediation in Canada. The CBN encourages progressive thinking and effective approaches for the revitalization of Canadian communities as key components of sustainable community development.

The Great Lakes region, with its industrial heritage, has been at the national forefront in the development of policies and programs to promote land recycling. All eight Great Lakes states, Ontario and Quebec have programs to promote remediation or "cleanup" and redevelopment of their brownfield sites. Great Lakes states each have a voluntary cleanup or environmental response program that offers a range of risk-based, site specific background and health cleanup standards that are applied based on the specifics of the contaminated property. The states also offer some form of liability protection to non-responsible parties and financial incentives to promote brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Often brownfield redevelopment requires a combination of environmental cleanup programs and business/economic development programs, which may involve a variety of agencies.

National Brownfield Associations
Associations in both U.S. and Canada with chapters in most Great Lakes states and provinces

Northeast-Midwest Institute
Includes documents on policy, lessons learned and case studies

Illinois

Illinois EPA Office of Brownfields Assistance
Provides an overview of the state's brownfields program and links to the various programs the state offers to promote redevelopment.

Indiana

Office of Land Quality Brownfields Program
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Provides links to a redevelopment resource guide, “Brownfields Bulletin” email list, information on state and federal programs (including the Indiana Interagency Brownfields Task Force) and an exhaustive list of potential funding sources.

Indiana Development Finance Authority (IDFA)
IDFA administers a number of grant, loan and tax credit programs to encourage brownfield redevelopment

Voluntary Remediation Program
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Program designed to encourage privately-funded cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated lands, some of which may be brownfields

Michigan

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
DEQ manages a number of brownfield programs, including Brownfield Redevelopment Authorities and the Clean Michigan Initiative.

Michigan Economic Development Corporation
The Corporation's brownfield resources page provides information about a number of redevelopment tools and incentives.

Minnesota

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Brownfield Programs
Contains information on a number of MPCA programs (including Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup), a statewide database of contaminated sites and links to other state, regional and federal programs of interest.

Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grant Program
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
DEED funds investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites for private or public redevelopment.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
MDA administers several cleanup programs for sites contaminated by agricultural chemicals, including a parallel Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup program.

New York

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Brownfield Programs
Information about several cleanup programs administered by DEC as well as links to other state, regional and national resources

Empire State Brownfield Redevelopment
Empire State Development

Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program
New York Department of State

Ohio

Office of Urban Development
Ohio Department of Development
The Office of Urban Development administers the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund and the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund in consultation with the Ohio EPA for brownfield cleanup, public health projects and site assessments.

Office of Housing and Community Partnerships (OHCP)
Ohio Department of Development
OHCP administers Economic Development and Community Development grants, which may be used for brownfield remediation.

Division of Emergency and Remedial Response (DERR)
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
DERR manages the Site Assessment and Brownfield Revitalization Program and the Voluntary Action Program which both address brownfield remediation.

Water Pollution Control Loan Fund
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Administers loans that can be used for brownfield cleanup projects that prevent non-point source pollution.

Ontario

Brownfield Redevelopment
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Provides information about legislative and regulatory guidelines related to brownfield redevelopment in Ontario, as well as a link to the Environmental Site Registry.

Brownfields
Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Contains links to tools and information for municipalities regarding brownfields in Ontario.

Finanical Tax Incentive Program
Ontario Ministry of Finance
Allows municipalities to give tax assistance for the purposes of environmental rehabilitation of brownfield properties.

Pennsylvania

Brownfields Action Team
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Responsible for expediting the remediation and redevelopment of brownfields and abandoned mine lands. This site provides information on the two major DEP programs, the Land Recycling Program and the Voluntary Cleanup Program, as well as links to financial incentives

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Links to an interactive Funding and Program Finder and information about a multitude of redevelopment incentive programs for businesses.

Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST)
PENNVEST jointly administers brownfield redevelopment loans with the DEP.

Québec

Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Rehabilitation Policy
Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks
Aims at protecting soils and groundwater by preventing local or dispersed contamination that may result from industrial and commercial activities and rehabilitating sites damaged by such activities. Website also provides links to an inventory of contaminated sites and a number of other resources.

Wisconsin

Remediation and Redevelopment (R&R) Program
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
R&R has a wide range of financial and liability tools available to assist local governments, businesses, lenders and others in cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields in Wisconsin.

Brownfields Initiative
Wisconsin Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce administers the Brownfields Grant Program. This page also provides a link to a Financial Resource Guide for Cleanup and Redevelopment.