We hope you didn't miss KSU TAB at the conference! Our team led and contributed to a variety of dynamic training sessions throughout the event. Our sessions and presentations from the conference are below.
Brownfields 101: Digging for Potential
This was a Brownfields University session. This interactive session was designed for beginners and intermediate practitioners looking to get a solid foundation in identifying brownfield sites and prioritizing them for inventory. Through a compelling real-world case study, attendees explored key concepts that shape the redevelopment process. Attendees engaged in instructional sessions on All Appropriate Inquiry, environmental assessments, liability considerations, community involvement, and essential brownfield resources. To keep things lively, the session included dynamic group activities that reinforced learning objectives and ensured attendees left ready to tackle brownfield challenges with confidence!
Objectives:
- Recognize key characteristics and indicators of potential brownfield sites as well as developing criteria for prioritization.
- Gain a general understanding of CERCLA, brownfield redevelopment, AAI, liability protection, and timing.
- Learn about community engagement, stakeholder identification, and goal setting.
- Explore EPA brownfield types, available technical assistance, and local government tools.
Presenters:
- Beth Grigsby - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Region 5, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Katie See - Assistant Director, Mid-Atlantic TAB
- Sheryl Gonzalez - Senior Brownfield Consultant, Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities, Center for Creative Land Recycling
- Kristin Prososki - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Regions 5 and 7, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Dawn Bembry Breeden - Manager, Brownfield Redevelopment, Center for Community Systems, New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Joy Britt, MPH - Senior Consultant, Atlas 360 Consulting / Center for Creative Land Recycling
Brownfields 201. New U.S. EPA Grantee Kickstart: Building Momentum from Day One
This was a Brownfields University session. This session was tailored for new grantees, covering essential steps to get started. It dove into basics of competitive procurement for environmental contractors, guidance on evaluating RFQPs, due diligence requirements, identification of stakeholders, working with property owners, and EPA reporting. Resources included a Timeline for new EPA Grantees, and who is subject to All Appropriate Inquiry procedures. A panel discussion with experienced communities rounded things out with valuable lessons learned and practical tips to help new grantees navigate the process successfully. With insights provided from seasoned peers and plenty of practical tools and resources, attendees left ready to lead with clarity and confidence.
Objectives:
- General understanding of the EPA’s Competitive Procurement Guidelines for Selecting a Consultant with Templates for individual EPA grants.
- Understanding All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) and how this information is important to future developers.
- Tips for Site Access Agreements and working with Property Owners.
- EPA reporting guidelines, the who, when and how?
Presenters:
- Katie See - Assistant Director, Mid-Atlantic TAB
- Andrew Riddle - Brownfields Project Manager, US EPA Region 8
- Maggie Belanger - Senior Director & TAB Program Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Kristin Prososki - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Regions 5 and 7, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
Brownfields 201. Capital Stack and Funding Strategy
This was a Brownfields University session. Attendees dove into the world of brownfields finance with this hands-on track designed to demystify the complex layers of funding known as the capital stack. From federal and state grants to private investment and in-kind support, attendees learned how to strategically align and sequence resources to make their projects pencil out. This track featured real-world examples, grant-building insights, and proven tactics to turn financial hurdles into steppingstones for success.
Objectives:
- Build Understanding of the Capital Stack Framework: Equip participants with a foundational understanding of the capital stack, including its key components - grants, loans, tax credits, equity, and in-kind contributions - and how each can be leveraged to support brownfields redevelopment.
- Develop Strategic Funding Approaches: Teach participants how to identify, align, and sequence diverse funding sources to create a viable and resilient financial plan for brownfield reuse, with an emphasis on timing, eligibility, and risk mitigation.
- Apply Lessons Through Real-World Case Studies: Provide participants with practical examples of successful capital stack strategies used in brownfields projects, enabling them to translate lessons learned into actionable steps for their own communities or sites.
Presenters:
- Sheryl Gonzalez - Senior Brownfield Consultant, Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities, Center for Creative Land Recycling
- Eric Williams - Project Director - Brownfields, SCS Engineers
- Joy Britt, MPH - Senior Consultant, Atlas 360 Consulting / Center for Creative Land Recycling
Brownfields 201. Unlocking Potential: Managing Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup
This was a Brownfields University session. This session was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to drive brownfield projects forward with clarity and confidence. Understanding liability, risk, and All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) is crucial in brownfield redevelopment. Participants explored contaminant pathways and assessment methods, including compliance with All Appropriate Inquiry Rule, ASTM Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs). The session also covered collaboration with state environmental authorities, further site investigations, and strategies for reuse and cleanup planning. Finally, attendees learned practical techniques for implementing remediation and reuse efforts effectively. This deep dive into these topics aimed to help attendees gain confidence in overseeing environmental consultants and have expectations for their deliverables so they can transform environmental challenges into clear, actionable next steps.
Objectives:
- Understand key liability considerations, risk assessment principles, and how AAI helps mitigate legal and financial concerns in brownfield redevelopment.
- Gain an understanding of the ASTM E1527-21 Phase I Environmental Assessment (ESAs), Phase II investigations ESAs, and Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs).
- Learn the importance of working with your State or Tribal Environmental Authority to ensure regulatory compliance and effective site planning.
- Explore further site investigation techniques and approaches to reuse and cleanup planning for brownfield projects.
Presenters:
- Dawn Farver - Brownfields Project Officer, US EPA Region 3
- Scott Nightingale - Regional Director Serving EPA Region 6, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Beth Grigsby - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Region 5, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
Community Benefits Calculator: Is the Public Investment Worth It?
In this session, we asked participants if they were faced with decisions about whether public funding and/or incentives should be invested in a redevelopment project. The KSU TAB Community Benefits Calculator is a great way to begin evaluating if the benefits to a community are worth the risk and investment of public money. The tool estimates net financial cost or gain of a project relative to the community's investment and, provides a high-level assessment of risk and determines the project's alignment with community goals. The tool produces an at-a-glance project summary for educating the public, decisionmakers and/or potential funders, about items of interest such as jobs, investment by other parties, and increased value to adjacent properties. Presenters discussed project profiles for community pool, brewpub, and commercial/retail redevelopment projects on brownfield sites.
Presenters:
- Blase Leven - Executive Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields and Center for Hazardous Substance Research
- Kate Lucas - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Region 8, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Jason Seyler - Brownfields Coordinator, Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Not FIDO, Phyto: Phytoremediation Myths, Facts and Essentials Introduction
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Room E451A
Use of phytoremediation/ phytotechnology, like brownfield practice, is transdisciplinary. Plain English communication skills and understanding of different facets of phytotechnology is needed to plan effective solutions and accurately engage the public. This ‘Phyto’ essentials session considered myths and facts and equipped stakeholders and practitioners to consider phytoremediation applications as potential nature-based solutions.
This roundtable session engaged participants with a quick summary about phytoremediation and phytotechnology research on the effectiveness with contaminants commonly reported by grantees to U.S. EPA. Roundtable discussions drilled down to engage participants about information needs, stakeholder and practitioner understandings, including ways heat, drought, and other environmental impacts associated with climate change need to be considered in analyzing phytoremediation application options. Participant feedback will inform a phytotechnology handbook for general use.
Presenters:
- Ann Carroll - Adjunct Faculty, George Washington University, Sustainable Urban Planning Program
- Ganga Hettiarachchi - Professor of Soil and Environmental Chemistry, Kansas State University
- Sabine Martin - President, CTOR Solutions, Adjunct Faculty at Kansas State University, KSU TAB Partner
- Nicholas Basta - Professor of Soil and Environmental Science, Ohio State University
Second Life for Rural Brownfields: Identifying Market-Supported Options for Reuse
A major key to successful brownfield redevelopment is ensuring the viability of end uses for the properties, but traditional market analyses often rely heavily on data that is unavailable in small towns and rural areas. So how do small towns identify reuse options for former brownfields that will survive, thrive and attract private investment? Attendees joined KSU TAB and partners Pioneer Development Company and 9th Path Advisors in a discussion around best practices for identifying desired uses, assessing market feasibility, and finding development partners.
Presenters:
- Andrew Arnold - Founder & Principal, Pioneer Development Company, KSU TAB Partner
- Brooks Cowles - Founder & Principal, 9th Path Advisors, KSU TAB Partner
- Kate Lucas - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Region 8, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
Meet the TABs
In this session, we asked attendees if they could you use assistance with project strategies, EPA Brownfields grants, site re-use planning, community engagement, opportunity or market analysis, proformas, drafting RFPs, reviewing technical environmental documents, and securing funding. Attendees joined this session to plug into the network.
Free technical assistance delivered by seasoned brownfield expertise is available to you through the Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB) program. Attendees joined us to meet their provider and learn how TAB providers meet them where they are in diagnosing and addressing obstacles to move their brownfields redevelopment project forward. Each year hundreds of municipalities, communities and developers work with TAB providers across the nation.
Presenters:
- Blase Leven - Executive Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields and Center for Hazardous Substance Research
- Maggie Belanger - Senior Director & TAB Program Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Sahar Rana - Office of Brownfields & Land Revitalization, U.S. EPA Brownfields Program
Enhancing Tribal Response Programs: Creative Approaches for 128a Compliance
Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Room E253A
This interactive session brought together Tribal Response Program Coordinators to engage in peer-learning and collaborative problem-solving around the four elements required by the 128a Tribal Response Program. Facilitated by the Tribal Technical Assistance to Brownfields Program, participants explored innovative strategies, shared successful approaches, and discussed creative solutions to overcome challenges in program implementation and advancing community brownfield priorities. Through dynamic conversations, attendees gained actionable insights and tools to strengthen their programs, ensuring long-term brownfields programmatic successes, as well as positive environmental and community health outcomes. Attendees joined us for an opportunity to learn, share, and connect with fellow Tribal Response Program Coordinators dedicated to advancing Tribal environmental initiatives.
Presenters:
- Oral Saulters - Co-Director, Tribal TAB Program, Kansas State University
- Jennifer Clancey - Co-Director, Tribal TAB Program, Kansas State University
Creative Minds for Communities: A TAB and University Partnership for Brownfield Reuse Visioning
This Topic Talk presented outcomes of a multi-year partnership between one of U.S. EPA’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) programs and a university department of landscape architecture and planning. Since 2017, the two presenters – a TAB associate director and a professor of landscape architecture – worked closely with representatives from a wide variety of communities to provide conceptual brownfield reuse and redevelopment strategies. Under their guidance, students generated graphically rich visioning concepts that creatively enhanced decision-making and led to measurable outcomes. Notable efforts include reuse planning for five vacated school sites in a rural community, redevelopment concepts along an auto-centric highway in a disadvantaged community in a mid-sized city, and repurposing industrial land adjacent to a historic African American neighborhood in a major city.
Presenters:
- Maggie Belanger - Senior Director & TAB Program Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Blake Belanger - Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning and Design, Kansas State University
How to Get Big Redevelopment Ideas in Small Communities
Friday, August 8, 2025 | 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM | Room E451A
Rural and small communities are mostly underserved and struggle to keep their heads above water. The need for revitalization is often countered by obstacles, such as a “we are too small for this” attitude, lack of capacity, complacency by local government, or some influential residents not wanting to change the status quo. Effective community engagement can overcome these barriers and serve as a catalyst for community revitalization, bringing brownfields back to beneficial use, and addressing associated but often overlooked community-sensitive environmental outcomes and public health issues along the way.
During this highly interactive session, participants heard from topic experts before identifying community engagement challenges and exploring tools to overcome them by accessing peers’ brainpower in guided, small group discussions. Out-of-the-box thinking was required!
Presenters:
- Sabine Martin - President, CTOR Solutions, Adjunct Faculty at Kansas State University, KSU TAB Partner
- Mel Pins - Brownfields Program Manager, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Taryn Horn - Brownfields and Voluntary Cleanup Program Coordinator, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
Building Futures: Supporting Communities with U.S. EPA's Brownfields Job Training Grant
Presenters:
- Matthew Wosje, EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, OLEM
- Danielle Getsinger, Chief Executive Officer, Adaapta
- Sherry Weedman, Senior Environmental Health and Scientist/Program Manager, Tetra Tech
- Blase Leven, Executive Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields and Center for Hazardous Substance Research