PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said Monday that $2.5 million is available in grants to clean up and redevelop contaminated properties across the state, and that projects adding housing will get preference.

The money is the first round from $5 million for brownfield cleanup included in the 2024 Green Bond, which the department said nearly 70% of Rhode Island voters approved. Brownfields are contaminated sites that often sit on valuable commercial and industrial land in the state's urban areas, according to the department.

The department said housing development will be a focus of this round, and that redevelopment plans providing affordable or market-rate housing will be scored favorably. Government agencies, private companies and nonprofit groups are eligible, and projects will be chosen competitively. Applications opened Nov. 2 and are due by 4 p.m. Dec. 11. They must be submitted electronically; paper copies will not be accepted.

The department said it has previously awarded more than $20 million to 87 projects in 17 communities through the program, with more than half in areas the state designates as environmental justice focus areas. It said that money has drawn more than $1.51 billion in other investment, supported more than 11,800 temporary and permanent jobs and cleaned up more than 376 acres, making way for businesses, school expansions, housing and recreation space.

The proposed 2026 Green Economy Bond, Question 5 on the Nov. 3 ballot, includes $3 million in matching grants for brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, the department said.

"Brownfields are one of Rhode Island's clearest opportunities to turn an environmental problem into an economic and community asset," DEM Director Terry Gray said.

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