Gov. Andy Beshear announced last week that $1 million is available for no-interest loans to qualified entities needing cleanup of brownfield sites throughout the Commonwealth.
Loans are available to local governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofits and quasi-governmental agencies through the Cleaner Commonwealth Fund (CCF), and can be financed for 10-15 years.
Applicants must adhere to program guidelines to be eligible for funding, including that properties must be considered brownfields and that the applicant must own the property.
Applications are being accepted, and there is no deadline to apply; however, applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.
Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection to discuss eligibility and current availability of funds before applying.
Brownfields are properties that have been abandoned or underused due to real or perceived environmental contamination, and they can include old factories, abandoned hospitals, old schools, former service stations and mine-scarred lands.
There are an estimated 8,000 brownfields across the state, and since 2012, Kentucky communities have received over $1.7 million in loans and grants from the Cleaner Commonwealth Fund.
Contact the Kentucky Brownfield Program at 502-782-6189 or brownfields@ky.gov for more information.