Unlike many Environmental Protection Agency cleanup programs States and Tribal Nations are responsible for developing brownfields cleanup standards and policy and conducting or overseeing the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites within their jurisdictions. This funding is intended for states and tribes that have the required management and administrative capacity within their government to administer a federal grant. The primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and Tribal response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include, certain elements of an environmental response program and that the program establishes and maintains a public record of sites addressed.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following: Developing legislation, regulations, procedures, ordinances, guidance, etc. that establish or enhance the administrative and legal structure of a response program; Establishing and maintaining the required public record described in Section V of this guidance; Operation, maintenance and long-term monitoring of institutional controls and engineering controls; Conducting limited site-specific activities, such as assessment or cleanup, provided such activities establish and/or enhance the response program; Purchasing environmental insurance; and Capitalizing revolving loan funds for cleanup program.