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Butte Local Development Corporation awarded $1 million in EPA Brownfields cleanup loan funds
Summary
On June 4, 2025, the Butte Local Development Corporation announced it received $1,000,000 in Brownfields cleanup revolving loan funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; funds are expected to be available after contracts are signed in October and will be used for cleanup loans across the Headwaters region.
On June 4, 2025, Kelly Sullivan, a representative of the Butte Local Development Corporation, told the Butte-Silver Bow Economic Development Committee that the organization had been awarded an additional $1,000,000 in Brownfields cleanup revolving loan funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and expects contracts to be completed by October.
The award is intended to provide cleanup loan dollars for Brownfields redevelopment projects across the Headwaters service area. "We learned on May 16 that we had received an additional $1,000,000 in Brownfields cleanup revolving loan funds," Sullivan said. She added that the BLDC had applied for two awards and received the $1,000,000 grant after a second application; the BLDC did not receive a separate $500,000 request it submitted.
The BLDC described how property owners and project sponsors access the funds: applicants bring projects to the BLDC, which conducts outreach, coordinates with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for site assessments, and then makes cleanup loan funds available. "The money's not just for Butte Silver Bow, but for the 6 other counties that we serve on the Headwater side," Sullivan said. She added that the program includes mostly loan funds, with a small amount of grant dollars, and that loans are available at low interest rates.
Sullivan described existing Brownfields work in Butte as examples of how cleanup can enable redevelopment, citing a former service station redevelopment on South Montana Street (Shee Bruce) and noting past contamination near Butte High School that cleanup projects addressed. She also said there are three Brownfields projects currently in the BLDC pipeline that could draw on existing and new cleanup funds.
Commissioners asked for procedural clarification during the update. Commissioner Healy asked, "How does that work?" and Sullivan explained the BLDC's role in outreach, Montana DEQ assessments, and loaning cleanup dollars. No formal action or vote was taken on the award during the committee meeting; Sullivan said she expects contracts and access to the money in October.
The award follows the BLDC's continued Brownfields work and is intended to support redevelopment of blighted properties through assessment and cleanup loans. The BLDC said applicants should contact its Brownfields coordinator for next steps once the funds are available.
The committee did not take formal action on the award at the June 4 meeting; Sullivan said she would report back if additional details or specific applicants emerge.
