EPA Region 7 Presents $500K Award to City of Red Oak, Iowa, for Brownfields Assessment Grant Choice

July 30, 2025

LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 30, 2025) – Today, on the Red Oak fireplace station in Red Oak, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Land, Chemical, and Redevelopment Division Director DeAndre Singletary introduced a $500,000 award to the City of Red Oak for his or her choice to obtain a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Singletary was joined by Red Oak Mayor Shawnna Silvius and Red Oak Mayor Pro Tem Tim Fridolph. 

“We are thrilled to announce the City of Red Oak as a first-time recipient of the brownfields assessment grant,” Singletary said. “This funding represents a significant step forward in their journey to transform underutilized sites into vibrant community assets. With this grant, the city is empowered to assess and prioritize redevelopment opportunities, fostering economic growth and environmental health.”

“We are looking forward to kicking off our Brownfield Assessment Grant efforts and the positive impact it will make for our community,” said Red Oak City Administrator Lisa Kotter.

Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 13 Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct community engagement and reuse planning activities. The target area for this grant is Red Oak’s Broadway Corridor. Priority sites include a 1.16-acre former grocery store and a 0.23-acre former service station.

Background

This grant is part of FY 2025 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), Cleanup Grants, and RLF Supplemental Funding announced in May 2025. This announcement included: 

Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants:

• ~$121.8 million for 148 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. 

• ~$88.2 million for 51 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient. 

• 15 million for 15 selectees for RLF Grants, which will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. 

Brownfields Supplemental Revolving Loan Fund Grants:

• $42 million for 34 high-performing recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for RLF Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work. 

View the list of selected applicants. 

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments have leveraged over $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage over 220,500 jobs from both public and private sources.

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