A Summary of Environmental Funding Programs

Evaluating and remediating environmental hazards is a crucial responsibility for any business owner, particularly those dealing with hazardous materials like petroleum. But, remediation can also be costly. To combat this cost burden, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards more than $4 billion in annual environmental funding for grants and other assistance agreements. The EPA puts these grants to work for organizations of all sizes – from the smallest nonprofits to entire state governments.

A Summary of Environmental Funding Programs

Missouri Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund (PSTIF)

EWI frequently works with the experts at the Missouri Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund, or PSTIF, which provides pollution liability insurance to owners and operators with underground or aboveground petroleum storage tank systems. This statewide fund insures about 3,500 properties, providing coverage to help reduce cleanup costs and third-party damages over a $10,000-per-incident deductible. The fund is limited, with limits of $1 million per incident and $2 million annual aggregate. The PSTIF also provides funds for remedial property cleanup. The fund gains revenue from Missouri’s transport load fee, which is currently $28 per 8,000 gallons. The load fee is assessed on each and every load of petroleum brought into Missouri.

Brownfield Funding Programs

EWI also spends a lot of time navigating the brownfields program run through the EPA. The EPA’s brownfields program funds brownfields assessment and cleanup, as well as revolving loans, environmental job training, technical assistance, and research to reduce the impact of brownfields on our environment.

Superfund Cleanup Funding

Since 1980, the EPA’s Superfund program has existed to locate, investigate, and remediate hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. The Superfund program oversees the following cleanups:

• Long-term (“remedial”) cleanups at National Priorities List (NPL) sites
• Short-term cleanups (“removal actions”)
• Responses to chemical and oil spill emergencies

At any given time, EWI is involved in numerous Superfund cleanups.

Other EPA Funding Programs

The EPA is committed to environmental protection and spill remediation. For that reason, the EPA’s brownfields program collaborates with other EPA programs, federal partners, and state agencies to increase the number of environmental funding opportunities available to business owners and the general public. There are a number of additional resources individuals and companies can use for brownfields and other environmental risks:

• Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield remediation including inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
• Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out brownfield site cleanups.
• Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfield sites.
• Multipurpose (MP) Grants provide funding to conduct assessment and cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
• Area-Wide Planning Grants allow communities to research, plan, and implement brownfield cleanup and revitalization strategies.
• Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Grants allow organizations to conduct research, provide training, and implement technical assistance to help communities address their brownfields.
• Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants provide environmental training for community members impacted by brownfields.

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If you are dealing with a concerning environmental issue surrounding your business or community, you’re not alone. Over the years, designated EPA grants have become a crucial tool to support business owners while protecting human health and the environment. Rest assured that brownfield and state assistance funding programs are available no matter how large or small your environmental remediation issue may be.

If you have questions about environmental funding programs, Environmental Works is here to help. We can walk you through every step of site remediation, including applying for federal funding to lessen your financial burden. Once you’ve secured funding, our team has the resources to ensure that your site is fully remediated to maintain federal compliance. To learn more about our environmental remediation services, please click here to contact us online.