Griffith Supports EPA Brownfields Grant Program for Ninth District Communities

The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing entitled "Ready for Reuse: Legislative Proposals to Unleash the Potential of America's Brownfields Sites." The Subcommittee considered numerous draft legislative proposals to reauthorize, improve and implement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program. The proposals included:

• Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act
• Brownfields Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
• Brownfields Inventory and Permitting Efficiency Act
• Brownfields Reauthorization for an Affordable and Revitalized America Act

Congressman Griffith continues to voice his support for the Brownfields Program, which delivers millions of dollars to Southwest Virginia communities to help with potential economic development projects.

Congressman Griffith's remarks during the hearing can be found here.

Following the hearing, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

"The EPA Brownfields Program has the power to transform polluted sites into new hubs for economic activity, including sites in Virginia's Ninth District.

"Today's hearing considered various policy ideas that will support the Brownfields Program. I am committed to working with other Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee on these proposals to ensure Ninth District communities have greater access to a vital federal cleanup program."

BACKGROUND

In 2025, Congressman Griffith announced that LENOWISCO Planning District Commission received multiple Brownfield-related grants from the EPA. That funding supported community-wide assessments of local brownfields.

Since 2019, other Ninth District communities to receive Brownfields Program funding include Pennington Gap in Lee County, Dublin and Pulaski in Pulaski County, Bluefield in Tazewell County, Martinsville City and Bristol City. Data available here.

Before his July 2025 appointment as Health Subcommittee Chairman, Congressman Griffith chaired the Subcommittee on Environment.

In March of 2025, Congressman Griffith chaired a hearing on the EPA's Brownfields Program. Scott County Native and LENOWISCO Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller testified to the panel and discussed the Program's importance to Southwest Virginia communities.

LENOWISCO Planning District Commission serves the Counties of Lee, Wise and Scott and the City of Norton.

The Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.

A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

Brownfield Assessment grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.

According to the EPA, Assessment Coalition grants are designed for one "lead" eligible entity to partner with two to four eligible entities that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own EPA cooperative agreement and otherwise would not have access to Brownfields grant resources.

Congressman Griffith's e-newsletter on the Program can be found here.

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