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Funding available for brownfields-eligible petroleum cleanup project inside Missoula, Montana City limits

Do you know of a brownfields-eligible petroleum cleanup project inside City limits that is looking for funding?

The City has a very brief window of opportunity (two weeks) to request that EPA fund a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) aimed at petroleum cleanup projects (as opposed to hazardous waste cleanups). Such an application could only succeed if the City is able to demonstrate need in the application – that is, that we can discuss in detail at least one project that is eligible for funding, would apply to the hypothetical new City RLF for funding, and has a redevelopment plan. If the City’s application succeeded, we would establish a second brownfields RLF dedicated to petroleum-only cleanup projects. The RLF could award below-market loans for cleanup activities to eligible petroleum cleanup projects; nonprofits could apply for grants. We would learn if the City obtained an award in "March-ish."

Eligibility for petroleum projects is challenging, and the deadline for the City to apply is February 17. I believe it unlikely that, in the next week, this community will identify an eligible project that is ready to roll, willing to wait, and costly enough that use of the RLF would make sense given the requisite compliance with EPA regs. However, if such a project exists, please contact me as soon as possible.

In abbreviated form, here are the most critical eligibility criteria for petroleum projects:

1. Pollution must be inhibiting redevelopment.

2. The site must be of relatively low risk compared to other petroleum only sites in the state.

3. The site must not be subject to any order issued under §9003(h) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act or comparable state law.

4. There can be no viable responsible party for the site.

5. The applicant must not have dispensed or disposed of petroleum or petroleum products at the site, must not have exacerbated the contamination at the site, and must have taken reasonable steps with regard to contamination at the site.

If you have any questions, please contact me. The City’s next opportunity to request funding for a petroleum RLF will be January, 2012. Thank you for your interest,

John Adams

Brownfields Coordinator

Missoula Office of Planning & Grants

406-258-3688

(Many thanks to Susan Hay Patrick

Chief Executive Officer,
United Way of Missoula County,

http://www.missoulaunitedway.org for passing this along.)

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