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How To Apply for Environmental Remediation Programs

What is a Brownfield?

A “brownfield” is a proposed development site that is contaminated with hazardous materials. The EPA awards grants to incentivize assessments and development of these properties.

Revitalizing these sites improves and protects the environment, increases local tax bases, and facilitates job growth. Salt Lake County prioritizes spending EPA funds on properties that demonstrate a public benefit and/or are within underserved communities.

Salt Lake County has two active Brownfields programs: 

  • Assessment Grants
  • Revolving Loan Funds

Assessment Grants

In 2021, Salt Lake County received an EPA Coalition Assessment Grant. This grant is available to public and private entities to assess and characterize environmental contamination on properties within Salt Lake County.

The EPA Coalition Assessment grant is managed by Salt Lake County and governed by the Salt Lake Brownfields Coalition Board with representatives from Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, and Murray City.

The EPA Coalition Assessment Grant provides funding to complete the following requirements through a specified Qualified Environmental Professional:

  • Phase I Environmental Assessment
  • Phase II Environmental Assessment
  • Cleanup Plan or ABCA
  • Asbestos, Lead, and Hazardous Materials Surveys

The Salt Lake Brownfields Coalition Board prioritizes assessments on properties that demonstrate a public benefit and/or are within underserved communities.

If you’d like your property considered for assessment, contact Kersten Swinyard at kswinyard@slco.org or 385-468-4869 for more information.

Revolving Loan Funds

In 2022, Salt Lake County received a $3.9 million grant from the EPA Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program. This grant funds low-interest loans to private and public entities seeking to clean up and redevelop brownfields sites throughout Salt Lake County and Ogden City.

The Revolving Loan Fund is managed by Salt Lake County and governed by the Wasatch Brownfields Coalition Board with representatives from Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, and Ogden City.

The Revolving Loan Fund offers low-interest loans for public and private entities that are pursuing a remediation plan with oversight from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

Please review the following document to understand if you qualify:

Loan Terms

  1. To access all documents for RLF properties, please contact Kersten Swinyard at kswinyard@slco.org

  2. Some examples of relevant documentation include:
    • The site and borrower/subgrantee eligibility determination;
    • An ABCA or its equivalent;
    • Phase I and II assessment reports;
    • QAPP;
    • Loan Application;
    • Wasatch Brownfield Coalition Board Minutes;
    • Cleanup completion documentation

If you’d like your property considered for a remediation loan, contact Kersten Swinyard at kswinyard@slco.org or 385-468-4869 for more information.

Public Notices and Comments

Welcome to the public notices and comments webpage for the Economic Development division of the Salt Lake County Office of Regional Development.

Here, you will be able to find public notices and comments relevant to active projects, grants, and programs we undertake to address the economic development needs of our residents.

Notice Type: Notice/Meeting

Event Start Date: March 7, 2025

Event End Date: March 28, 2025

Description

Salt Lake County is seeking public commentary on the Former Ace Auto Site Remediation Action Plan.

Site Description:

The site is 0.48 acres and located at 47 East 700 South in Salt Lake City, Utah. It features a two-story building constructed in 1934, with additional expansions made in 1962 and 1980. The building has an approximate area of 13,000 square feet and is comprised of block walls and slab-on-grade concrete floors.

The property includes an asphalt-paved parking lot and storage yard, along with a chain-link fence and gate, an automatic sprinkler system, and associated landscaping. Historically, the site was used for automotive operations, specifically chrome plating.

The Phase I Environment Assessment references miscellaneous extinct residential uses from 1889 to the early 1940s and was developed with the current structure between 1934 and 1980. Known commercial tenants have included Love Auto Accessories (1949-1965), JD Automotive Machine Shop (1965), Automotive Manufacturers Warehouse (1970-1991), and Ace Automotive Warehouse (1991-2000).

Based on the results from environmental investigations, the primary contaminants of concern are Hexavalent chromium, chromium, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a result of chrome plating operations.

Cleanup Measures:

The proposed cleanup approach is demolition of the building on site followed by the excavation of impacted soil, and will consist of the following:

  1. Pre-demolition surveys to assess the existing building and contamination levels
  2. Building demolition
  3. Remove impacted soils, particularly those contaminated with chromium and sampling to confirm the safety of remaining soils.
  4. Backfilled with clean structural fill, placed in 8-12-inch lifts and compacted to 95% density.
Schedule:

Remedial action work is planned to begin approximately at the end of April and is expected to take approximately six months.

Public Input and Participation:

Salt Lake County encourages public input and participation on the Former Ace Auto Remedial Action Plan. The Remedial Action Plan will be available for public review for a comment period of 14 days after the publication of this notice. After the close of this comment period, Salt Lake County will, if appropriate in view of any comments received, approve remedial action on the site. Salt Lake County expects to respond to any comments.

An electronic public commentary period will be held on March 13 from 10AM-2PM via Webex, using the following information where stakeholders can voice their commentary:

Join from the meeting link

https://slco.webex.com/slco/j.php?MTID=mef4f137c702268dc089560dcc95764ab

Join by meeting number

Meeting number (access code): 2493 784 6002
Meeting password: YCrpq2dmT68
Join by phone

+1-213-306-3065 United States Toll (Los Angeles)
+1-602-666-0783 United States Toll (Phoenix)
Join from a video system or application

Dial 24937846002@slco.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Contact Information: To provide your public comment and feedback, please contact via email, written letter, or phone call: Rachel Boyett, Economic Development Coordinator, 385-468-4912, rboyett@saltlakecounty.gov

Public comment can also be provided in person at 2001 S State Street, Suite S2-100

Note: This serves as an official public notice and invitation for stakeholders to engage with Salt Lake County in its efforts to meet EPA guidelines

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities or those in need of language interpretation services can be provided if five (5) working days' notice is given by calling 385-468-4854 or 385-468-4900. TTY/TDD users should call 7-1-1.'

Former Ace Auto Remedial Action Plan
Electronic Public Commentary Period

This will be held on March 13 from 10 AM - 2 PM via Webex.
A sign on a pole. A sign on a pole.

 

Folsom Corridor

Folsom Corridor is an abandoned rail line near the Utah Power & Light/Utah Barrel Company Superfund site. The area experienced heavy contamination from years of industrial use.

Today, the historic train corridor is an active trail corridor that connects the FrontRunner North Temple Station to the Jordan River Trail. The EPA Assessment Grant funded a Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental assessment and a Cleanup Plan to understand environmental contamination in the area.

Additional redevelopment plans include daylighting City Creek to create an active green space with installments from local artists.

A white building with a sign on it. A white building with a sign on it.

 

Centro Civico Mexicano

Established in 1935, Centro Civico Mexicano is a nonprofit serving the Hispanic and Immigrant community in Salt Lake City. The original civic center building (photo 1) was used as a gathering place for cultural and community events.

With a subgrant from the EPA’s Revolving Loan Fund, Centro Civico Mexicano removed asbestos, mercury, hydrocarbons and other contaminates from its civic center and surrounding soils. The remediated property now features a remodeled community center and 61 apartments for low-income seniors.

A large building with a parking lot. A large building with a parking lot.

 

Granton Square

Granton Square is located in Murray City near two historic smelting sites­–– the Murray Smelter Site and Morgan-Hanauer Smelter Site. The property itself was a flour mill, then a fish food processing facility, and later a small engine repair shop.

A $500,000 loan from the EPA’s Revolving Loan Fund supported the cleanup of metals from the historic smelting activities. Today, the site is home to an office building and 61 townhomes.