EPA sets grants to restore 'brownfields' at blighted sites by Matthew Daly, The Associated Press Posted May 11, 2021 3:42 pm EDT Last Updated May 11, 2021 at 3:44 pm EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced more than $66 million in grants to 151 communities nationwide to assess and clean up contaminated or abandoned “brownfields” — industrial and commercial properties that contain a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. An estimated 450,000 brownfields, including abandoned industrial facilities, waste disposal sites and former gas stations, plague cities, towns and rural areas throughout the country. “This is a significant opportunity for environmental justice communities and rural communities that for far too long have been living with blighted pieces of property. And now they can see on the horizon investment opportunities that will come to fruition,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Tuesday in an interview.