Cook County Receives $950,000 EPA Grant for Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund

Remediation of brownfield sites advances environmental justice, creating healthier and more sustainable communities  

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that the County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) has received $950,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to supplement its existing Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (Brownfield RLF). Established in 2018, DES’ Brownfield RLF program provides low-interest loans to transform polluted, abandoned or underused industrial and commercial properties into vibrant community assets. These projects generate jobs, stimulate economic growth and improve quality of life in overburdened communities.

“The Brownfield RLF drives economic growth, creates new housing, opens green spaces and more – all for communities that have shouldered the burden of pollution for years,” said President Preckwinkle. “Continuing to invest in programs that clean up contaminated brownfields across Cook County is vital to achieving environmental justice and empowering historically underserved communities to thrive.”

Cook County’s was one of 31 high-performing Brownfield RLF Grant Programs selected by the EPA to receive supplemental funding. Funds from RLF repayments are used to provide new loans to support remediation efforts at additional sites.

The cleanup and reuse or redevelopment of brownfields deliver broad economic, environmental and social benefits, including job training, increased green space and floodwater retention. DES identifies and assesses brownfield sites in suburban Cook County to determine the nature and extent of contamination and develops remediation-cost scenarios to facilitate site reuse. Additionally, DES provides direct support through remediation services and low-interest loans to property owners and developers.

Since 2014, Cook County’s brownfield program has leveraged federal funding to complete assessment and/or remediation projects at over 127 brownfield sites, covering approximately 1,000 acres across suburban Cook County. 

Property owners in suburban Cook County who did not cause contamination at their sites are eligible to apply for environmental remediation loans through the RLF. Priority will be given to brownfield sites located in under-resourced communities. Funds are available through 2029 or until fully expended.

For more information, visit www.cookcountyil.gov/service/brownfield-redevelopment.

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