The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide $2 million in Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup grants to four Puerto Rico municipalities, funding that officials said will help prepare contaminated or underused properties for redevelopment and potential private investment. The grants, awarded to Juana Díaz, Maunabo, San Germán and San Lorenzo, are intended to accelerate assessments, […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide $2 million in Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup grants to four Puerto Rico municipalities, funding that officials said will help prepare contaminated or underused properties for redevelopment and potential private investment.
The grants, awarded to Juana Díaz, Maunabo, San Germán and San Lorenzo, are intended to accelerate assessments, cleanup planning, reuse strategies and community engagement at former industrial, commercial and public sites across the island.
EPA officials framed the funding as part of a broader push to link environmental cleanup with economic development, particularly in communities seeking to convert blighted properties into job-generating assets.
“These grants show EPA’s commitment to helping Puerto Rico communities turn environmental challenges into economic opportunities,” EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci said in a statement. “By investing in brownfields cleanup, we’re paving the way for healthier neighborhoods and new jobs across the island.”
Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said the grants give local governments and organizations more resources to reposition idle or contaminated properties for productive use.
“Brownfields investments help transform underutilized and contaminated properties into assets that can attract private investment, create jobs, improve public health, and enhance the quality of life for our residents,” González-Colón said, thanking EPA Regional Administrator Martucci, the EPA and the Trump Administration for continued support.
Grant recipients
Juana Díaz will receive $500,000 to assess sites across the municipality and support reuse planning and community engagement. Priority sites include a vacant public school, a former industrial property and an abandoned gas station.
Maunabo will receive $500,000 to assess and prioritize sites in its urban center, including a vacant commercial facility, a former juice factory and an auto services property. The grant also supports cleanup plans and community engagement.
San Germán will receive $500,000 to assess properties in its urban center, including a textile and electronics facility, an abandoned hospital and an electronics plant. Funding will also support cleanup plans, a design charrette and community engagement.
San Lorenzo will receive $500,000 to assess sites in its urban center, including an abandoned industrial facility and former bars and restaurants. The grant also supports cleanup plans, a design charrette and community engagement.
The Brownfields program is designed to help communities inventory, assess, clean up and plan for the reuse of properties where contamination or the perception of contamination has limited redevelopment. Officials said the Puerto Rico awards are expected to support local revitalization efforts and help move viable cleanup projects closer to construction and reuse.
