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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Hennepin County, MN
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is
real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants through four competitive grant programs:
assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup
grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
Hennepin County was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant and a revolving loan fund
grant. Hennepin County, with a population of 1,114,977,
incorporates the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul,
including the Minneapolis urban Empowerment Zone
(EZ) with its more than 55,000 residents. Although the
region as a whole is notable for its strong economy, the
quality of life is not evenly distributed. Unemployment,
poverty, and crime are all markedly higher in the
Empowerment Zone neighborhoods. The assessment
project will focus on the routes and sites along the
former "farm-to-market routes" and rail lines used to
transport and distribute manufactured goods, which are
located in the once rural, sparsely populated areas of
northern and western Hennepin County. These areas
are now the fastest growing residential regions of the
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Hennepin County Depart-
ment of Housing, Community Works & Transit for
a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to perform
approximately six to eight Phase I site assessments,
perform two to four Phase II site assessments, and
develop cleanup plans for one to three sites along
the transit routes in the county. Petroleum grant
funds will be used to perform approximately six to
eight Phase I site assessments, perform five to
eight Phase II site assessments, and develop
cleanup plans for four to seven sites with potential
petroleum contamination in the same areas.
Revolving Loan Fund
Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Hennepin County Department
of Environmental Services to receive a brownfields
revolving loan fund grant. Grant funds will be used to
capitalize the Hennepin County Brownfield Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund for hazardous substances
cleanup. Funds also will be used for cleanup over-
sight and program development.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
312-886-7576
http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Hennepin County, MN
612-348-2215 (assessment)
612-348-5714 (revolving loan fund)
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-04-137
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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county, and are in great need of improved transporta-
tion. Assessment and cleanup of the sites and routes
along these corridors are expected to stimulate greater
public transit use, and provide inner city residents
access to outlying employment centers. The revolving
loan fund grant will give priority to projects within the
EZ and other specially designated tax increment
districts. It will be used to build on the success of the
previously funded County projects that have created
156 new jobs and 197 new housing units, and have
provided leverage for more than $ 118 million in re-
gional, state, local, and private development grants,
incentives, and other funding.
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