August 26, 2019
ETCOG Seeks Information on Property Locations to be Considered for Economic Redevelopment Grant Application
ETCOG Member Jurisdictions May Partner or Apply
ETCOG is seeking property locations in East Texas to be considered for an economic redevelopment grant application to address and manage contaminated properties. In the coming months, we plan to apply for a grant through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program, which provides grants and technical assistance to safely assess, cleanup, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.
The EPA launched the Brownfields program in 1995 and defines a “brownfield” as a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 Brownfields in the United States.
“The presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants at Brownfield sites represent significant health risks to the surrounding community,” said ETCOG’s Community Services Manager, Julie Burnfield. “Furthermore, areas surrounding Brownfield sites face ongoing economic challenges such as depressed property values, lack of employment opportunities and investment, and vacant properties can be a catalyst for crime, illegal dumping, and vandalism. It would be excellent to remedy any potential Brownfields locations within our region.”
“We recognize the importance of facing this challenge for the future health and well-being of East Texans,” said ETCOG’s Executive Director, David Cleveland. “We could use help from the local experts to identify properties in our region that could qualify. We also want to offer assistance to our members who wish to collaborate on this effort or need help with their own application.”
Through the East Texas Economic Development District (ETEDD), ETCOG can assist its member jurisdictions in researching, writing and/or administering grants, including grants offered through the EPA Brownfields Program.
To submit a property to be evaluated for inclusion in ETCOG’s Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant, contact Julie Burnfield
at (903) 218-6436 or Julie.Burnfield@etcog.org. The properties must be located within the ETCOG region including Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties.
For information on grant opportunities and assistance, members are encouraged to see the Grant Services
area of our website. For more information on the Brownfields Program, visit www.epa.gov/brownfields.
Media Contact:
Director of Communications
P: (903) 218-6442
ETCOG/ETEDD and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Tyler, TX, August 27-28, 2026. This training is for grant seekers from all disciplines. Attend this class to learn how to write winning government grant proposals and find the available grant funding. Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county, state agencies, K-12, colleges & universities and nonprofits are encouraged to attend. Registration is $525 and includes everything you need: Grant Writing USA Workbook Two days of expert instruction Lifetime access to Grant Writing USA Alumni Resource Center Grant Writing USA is offering ETCOG members a $50 discount. Please use the discount code "less50" at the time of registration. When: August 27 - 28 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Where: 1421 S Beckham Ave, Tyler, TX 75701 For event details visit: https://grantstraining.com/ty0826
ETCOG will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. during its Executive Committee meeting at 3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, Texas. The purpose of the hearing is to gather public input on the Texas Community Development Block Grant ( TxCDBG ) Program Regional Project Priority Types for the East Texas region. As part of the standard TxCDBG process, each Council of Governments region in Texas is encouraged to identify the project types that best reflect regional needs and priorities. During the hearing, ETCOG’s Executive Committee will receive comments from local officials, stakeholders, and members of the public regarding which eligible project categories should be prioritized for East Texas. These priorities may include needs such as water and sewer infrastructure, street improvements, housing, and other eligible community development activities. Regional project priority types play an important role in the TxCDBG application process. The priorities adopted by ETCOG will be submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), which administers the TxCDBG program, for use in the upcoming funding cycle. Regional priorities account for a portion of the scoring used to evaluate grant applications. ETCOG encourages anyone with an interest in community development needs across East Texas to attend the hearing and provide input during the public comment period.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development launched a new Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool, which has been integrated into Rural Development’s Eligibility site. This site now directs users to an eligibility mapping tool for the following programs: Community Facilities Electric OneRD Guarantee Rural Business and Cooperative Services Water and Environmental Programs The Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool enables user flexibility in determining programmatic eligibility based on their location across multiple programs simultaneously. USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site: https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do USDA Rural Development Eligibility Lookup Tool (direct link): https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3c2f6c9581bb4f06a4ab68df8f34b0be This consolidated view of eligibility represents a significant modernization in how Rural Development assesses and communicates program eligibility. By centralizing eligibility checks, utilizing current geospatial technology and adhering to modern data governance standards, the tool significantly reduces staff workload and improves engagement with rural communities. This initiative supports Rural Development’s mission to provide efficient, transparent and accessible services while ensuring compliance with federal requirements and maintaining consistency with existing eligibility data sources.
