Seven Oregon sites receive $8 million for brownfield redevelopment projects

^{Staff from DEQ, EPA and Wild River Trust at the site of a former mill on which they conducted a brownfields assessment (March 2020)}

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced seven sites in Oregon that will receive $8.2 million in brownfield funding for environmental assessment and cleanup projects. The grants will help transform the sites into community assets, attract jobs and promote economic revitalization. The following organizations in Oregon were selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding: 

• Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians – $800,000 to conduct a Phase II environmental site assessment, develop a cleanup plan, conduct reuse planning and community outreach activities on the former Toledo Mill property.  
• Harney County – $500,000 to clean up the contamination at the two-acre Lincoln School site in Burns.  
• Mid-Columbia Economic Development District – $1 million to conduct 26 Phase I and 15 Phase II environmental site assessments, prepare five cleanup or reuse plans, two area-wide plans, and to conduct community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on Hood River, Cascade Locks, Dufur, Maupin, Tygh Valley, Rufus and Wasco, Oregon; as well as portions of Goldendale, Washington.  
• Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments – $1 million to conduct 20 Phase I and 11 Phase II environmental site assessments, four cleanup plans, four site reuse plans, develop a public involvement plan, and conduct community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on Linn and Benton counties.  
• Oregon Department of State Lands – $1 million to clean up the seven-acre Moore and Wright Islands Natural Area Sediment Cleanup Site.  
• Oregon State University – $2 million to clean up the Former Deschutes County Construction and Demolition Landfill. 
• Wild Rivers Land Trust, Port Orford – $1.9 million to clean up the former Western States Plywood Mill in Port Orford.

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse.

Learn about how DEQ works with EPA, communities, organizations, and other government agencies to facilitate brownfield redevelopment.

By Greg Svelund, DEQ Regional Solutions Coordinator