Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released “The Benefits of Brownfields for Ohio’s Communities: An Analysis of the Brownfield Remediation Program Over the Past Three Years”. This white paper examines the $659 million awarded between 2022 and 2024 for the Brownfield Remediation Program. The white paper also makes the case for allocating additional dollars to a statewide brownfield grant program in the next state Operating Budget.

Passed in the FY22-23 Main Operating Budget, and re-allocated in the FY24-25 Main Operating Budget, the Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP) has been funded at $350 million in each budget. To date, the program has pumped $659 million into Ohio’s communities with projects underway to assess, cleanup, and revitalize brownfields in 86 of Ohio's 88 counties.

To date, the Brownfield Remediation Fund has granted $659 million to 631 projects. Eighty-six of Ohio’s 88 counties were awarded grant dollars for 380 clean-up projects and 251 assessments. According to the Ohio Department of Development, in early 2025, roughly $50M will become available for competitive applications. This application window will be the final dollars of the $700M made available over of the past two budget allocations.

The white paper also makes the case for more funding and recommends one adjustment to the current program to help communities, especially smaller and more rural communities, successfully compete for funds. As state policymakers consider investments in Ohio's communities through the Main Operating Budget, a further investment in a state brownfield grant program can continue to provide local changemakers with grant dollars to clean-up the more than 250 assessed sites awarded grants in the past three years, and apply for additional funds to continue brownfields revitalization in their communities.

The full report can be accessed on GOPC’s website.

Image Description Westland Mall, empty, in Columbus, Ohio. 24 October 2020, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/96853498@N02/50526868677/ Author Jsjessee