Don’t miss KSU TAB at the conference! Our team will be leading and contributing to a variety of dynamic training sessions throughout the event. For more information on these training sessions and to see a complete list of available sessions, visit the Brownfields 2025 site HERE.
Brownfields 101: Digging for Potential
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Room E451B
This is a Brownfields University session. Pre-registration is required.
Ready to dive into the world of brownfield redevelopment? This interactive session is 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, you'll explore key concepts that shape the redevelopment process. Expect engaging instructional sessions on All Appropriate Inquiry, environmental assessments, liability considerations, community involvement, and essential brownfield resources. To keep things lively, the session includes dynamic group activities that reinforce learning objectives and ensure you're 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 (she/her/hers) - Assistant Director, Mid-Atlantic TAB
- Sheryl Gonzalez - Senior Brownfield Consultant, Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities, Center for Creative Land Recycling
- Kristin Prososki (she/her/hers) - 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
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Room E352
This is a Brownfields University session. Pre-registration is required.
New to the world of brownfields grants? This track is your launchpad. This session is tailored for new grantees, covering essential steps to get started. It will dive 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 will include a Timeline for new EPA Grantees, and who is subject to All Appropriate Inquiry procedures. A panel discussion with experienced communities will round 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, you’ll leave 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 (she/her/hers) - Assistant Director, Mid-Atlantic TAB
- Maggie Belanger - Senior Director & TAB Program Director, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Kristin Prososki (she/her/hers) - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Regions 5 and 7, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Beth Grigsby - Assistant Regional Director Serving EPA Region 5, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
Brownfields 201. Capital Stack and Funding Strategy
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Room E253A
This is a Brownfields University session. Pre-registration is required.
Dive 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, you’ll learn how to strategically align and sequence resources to make your project pencil out. This track features 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
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Room E350
This is a Brownfields University session. Pre-registration is required.
This session is 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 will explore 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 covers collaboration with state environmental authorities, further site investigations, and strategies for reuse and cleanup planning. Finally, attendees will learn practical techniques for implementing remediation and reuse efforts effectively. This deep dive into these topics help you gain confidence in overseeing environmental consultants and have expectations for their deliverables so you 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:
- 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
- Dawn Bembry Breeden - Manager, Brownfield Redevelopment, Center for Community Systems, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Evaluating Brightfields from the Ground Up: Pre-Screening Your Brownfields for Clean Energy Reuse
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 | 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Room E351
This is a Brownfields University session. Pre-registration is required. The U.S. EPA estimates that there are over 450,000 brownfields across America. But many may have a promising future in hosting clean energy. Deploying clean energy on brownfields to convert them into “brightfields” is an often-overlooked reuse, but clean energy does not make sense for every site. In this session, RMI and U.S. EPA will train municipal staff, planners, and other community leaders how to screen sites for clean energy reuse potential with online maps and other tools. Participants can either bring their own site or use mock sites provided. This session will be led by Rocky Mountain Institute’s Brightfield’s Accelerator in collaboration with KSU's Technical Assistance to Brownfields program and will involve discussions on what sites are best to consider for clean energy and why.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to conduct site screenings for clean energy reuse and apply a site screening checklist.
- This training session will build on RMI’s co-leadership of the City Renewables Accelerator, facilitating structured workshops, bootcamps, and other training and facilitation strategies to support municipal, Tribal, and other non-profit staff and community partners.
- This session will use remote desktop software tools, mock projects, and real-life examples to train participants on the fundamentals of effective site pre-screening for clean energy reuse opportunities.
- This session is considered intermediate because it assumes knowledge of brownfields planning and reuse concepts, though participants are not assumed to know any tools used or clean energy technology details in advance.
Presenters:
- Matthew Popkin - Manager, US Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
- Tansy Massey-Green - Senior Associate, US Program Cities Team, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
- Kurt Princic - Senior Project Development Manager, CEP Renewables LLC
Community Benefits Calculator: Is the Public Investment Worth It?
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Room E253D
Are you 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. Presenter will discuss 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
The Inspiring Cleanup Journeys of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and Bay Mills Indian Community
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Room E253A
This session will spotlight the cleanup strategies employed by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes located in Oklahoma and the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan. The first segment will present a brief documentary that details the motivations and initial steps of Phase 1 cleanup at the former boarding school campus of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. The second segment will shift its focus to the Bay Mills Indian Community, highlighting its cleanup process that adheres to state cleanup standards. The session will conclude with an inter-tribal dialogue exploring the implications of state versus tribal cleanup standards, considering both approaches' legal, cultural, and environmental aspects.
Presenters:
- Jacqueline Coreno - Brownfields Tribal Coordinator, U.S. EPA Region 5
- Cheiko Buffalo - EPA Director, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes EPA
- Jennifer Satchell - Environmental Coordinator, Bay Mills Indian Community
Why the Brightfields Opportunity is Scratching the Surface of Its Potential
Wednesday, August 6,2025 | 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM | Room E253D
Walk through almost every community and you will come across a brownfield site. This is no exaggeration: the U.S. EPA estimates that there are over 450,000 brownfields across America. Many of these sites may have a promising future in supporting a local energy transition. Yet, as of October 2024, only 624 sites have been redeveloped for clean energy. Join Rocky Mountain Institute's Brightfields Accelerator to learn about current brightfields trends. This session will be great for beginners and active stakeholders alike. By understanding what is possible, communities and site owners can plan to repurpose their brownfields with clean energy; and how this can complement broader revitalization.
Objectives:
- This session will challenge participants to consider why certain states have zero brightfields and others have tens if not hundreds.
- Offer insights to inform future planning for state and local governments, non-profits, community leaders, and the private sector.
- Introduce resources that participants can use to better understand what's possible for brightfields now and in the future.
Presenters:
- Matthew Popkin - Manager, US Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
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 will consider myths and facts and equip stakeholders and practitioners to consider phytoremediation applications as potential nature-based solutions.
This roundtable session will engage 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 will drill 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
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Room E451B
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? Join 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
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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? Come join 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. Join us to meet your provider and learn how TAB providers meet you where you are in diagnosing and addressing obstacles to move your brownfields redevelopment project forward. Each year hundreds of municipalities, communities and developers work with TAB providers across the nation. Whether you’re an advanced brownfields practitioner or just getting started, start your engagement today.
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
Perfect Pitch
Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 10:30 PM - 12:45 PM | Room E450A
Finalists of the Pitch Perfect competition will pitch their project live Thursday, August 7. Do you have a project to pitch? Complete the application form by June 27, 2025.
Our expert panel of redevelopment pros with deep experience in revitalization, reuse, and real estate will help applicants refine their pitch. This friendly competition offers valuable insights for the audience as well. This year all three finalists will walk away with tailored technical assistance packages provided by national brownfield experts. Additionally, all applicants will be connected with their Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) provider to explore receiving assistance, finalist or not.
This is more than a competition - it’s an opportunity to gain expert insight, build momentum, and elevate projects on a national stage. Whether the site needs help refining a reuse plan, navigating environmental challenges, attracting developers, or aligning with funding opportunities, this support is designed to move projects from vision to reality!
Brownfields Therapy - Shared Experiences in Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Paths Forward in Brownfields
Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Room E451A
In this interactive session, join experts from the Central Appalachian Brownfields Innovation Network (CABIN) as they share strategies for successful Brownfield assessments, cleanup, and redevelopment planning. By uniting around mutual attributes and challenges, cultivating relationships, and creating a platform to swap ideas, CABIN has helped communities in six states tackle environmental, financial, and socioeconomic challenges to revitalize contaminated sites and improve quality of life. Whether you’re in Central Appalachia or elsewhere, you'll gain valuable insights into overcoming common obstacles in Brownfield redevelopment. Share your challenges and receive real-time feedback from experienced professionals across multiple states and EPA regions. This session offers a unique opportunity to collaborate, exchange ideas, and walk away with actionable solutions to drive your Brownfield projects forward.
Objectives:
- Facilitate cross-regional collaboration by identify common challenges and opportunities in Brownfield redevelopment, enable participants to connect with leaders and stakeholders from different EPA regions to share insights and strategies.
- Promote knowledge exchange by providing a platform for participants to learn from others' Brownfield assessment and cleanup experiences, sharing practical lessons, success stories, and innovative solutions that can be applied to their own projects.
- Equip attendees with tools to build regional networks by discussing the benefits of collaborative, multi-state approaches to Brownfield redevelopment and offering strategies for implementing similar networks in their own communities to drive sustainable revitalization.
Presenters:
- Roxanne Anderson - Regional Director Serving EPA Region 5, Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields
- Karen Weber - Brownfields Coordinator, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
- Paula Middlebrooks - Environmental Consultant, State of Tennessee
- Corin Fogle - Supervisor - VAP, Enforcement, Remedial, and Brownfields Section, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Enhancing Tribal Response Programs: Creative Approaches for 128a Compliance
Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Room E253A
This interactive session will bring 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 will explore innovative strategies, share successful approaches, and discuss creative solutions to overcome challenges in program implementation and advancing community brownfield priorities. Through dynamic conversations, attendees will gain actionable insights and tools to strengthen their programs, ensuring long-term brownfields programmatic successes, as well as positive environmental and community health outcomes. Join 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
Wednesday, August 7, 2025 | 3:35 PM - 3:55 PM | Room E253C
This Topic Talk presents 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
Brightfields Developer "Fireside Chat": Understanding the Market for Clean Energy on Brownfields
Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Room E351
With over 530 “brightfields” built to date, communities are no longer asking “is it possible to put clean energy on my brownfield?” but “how economical will my project be?” Well, it’s time to meet your market. This distinctive panel, hosted by Rocky Mountain Institute’s Brightfields Accelerator, will feature multiple energy developers who have experience deploying clean energy projects on a range of challenging brownfields and closed landfills. This lively, interactive session will feature expert practitioners from regional and national energy developers. Beginners are welcome, but this may get technical quickly as we dig into differences between established and emerging U.S. energy markets and offer on-the-ground project insights. Prepare yourself for the most energizing panel since your electric box.
Objectives:
- Participants will walk away having learned about clean energy market perspectives for planning and procurement best practices to apply to their own projects.
- Participants will learn about the technical assistance available to communities and site owners looking to advance their own brightfield project.
- Rocky Mountain Institute leads the Brightfields Accelerator, in partnership with KSU’s and CCLR’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields program, which can also provide follow-up support to participants through our ongoing technical assistance program to local governments and Tribal communities to advance brightfields projects.
Presenters:
- Matthew Popkin - Manager, US Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
- Annika Colston - Founder and CEO, AC Power
- Paul Curran - Chief Development Officer, Clean Capital
- Chad Farrell - Manager, Carbon-Free Electricity Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
Sampling the Buffet of Policies & Practices that Advance Clean Energy Reuse on Brownfields
Friday, August 8, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Room E451A
Why do Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey have the most clean energy projects sited on brownfields (a.k.a. “brightfields”) to date? It’s not because they are the largest geographically and it’s definitely not because it’s always sunny in the Northeast. In fact, these states have policies, incentives, and practices that encourage siting clean energy on brownfields and closed landfills. But it’s not only these Northeastern states that have brightfield-enabling policies and practices. States around the country are creating energy targets, incentives, and guidance that encourage site owners and energy developers to invest in brownfield sites. This session will offer a delicious buffet of policy and practice options aiming to enhance state policies and practices in both established and emerging brightfields markets.
Objectives:
- Rocky Mountain Institute's Brightfields Accelerator and staff from state agencies actively implementing these policies and practices will discuss options for different types of energy market and state goals, allowing participants to understand what may make sense for them and their state. For example, Illinois has a carve-out in their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that requires that 3% of their renewable energy come from brightfields, but that may not be applicable in some energy markets and states without the ability to implement an RPS target. As a result, participants will explore multiple policy mechanisms to better understand what it will take to implement potential policies.
- This facilitated session will include a range of topical and interactive discussions, with ample opportunities for audience participation. Attendees will leave with a full plate of options to consider for advancing brightfields-enabling policies in their state.
Presenters:
- Brian Granahan - Director, Illinois Power Agency
- Tansy Massey-Green - Senior Associate, US Program Cities Team, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
- Matthew Popkin - Manager, US Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), KSU TAB Partner
- Paul Raducha - Senior Director, Ameresco
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 will briefly hear 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 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