United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
EPA500-F-99-144
June 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
SEPA
Brownf ields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Twin Cities Metropolitan Council, MN
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods
to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
EPA has selected the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council
(TCMC) for a Brownfields Pilot. The TCMC
oversees redevelopment for the Twin Cities seven-
county metropolitan area (population 2.2 million) that
includes the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Twin
Cities officials have identified 3,000 acres of
brownfields sites in the metropolitan area.
For this Pilot, the TCMC has formed a partnership
with the Minnesota Environmental Initiative and the
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHH) to create
a model for developing multi-unit affordable housing
on brownfields. TCHH, anon-profit organization that
produces affordable housing for families in need,
plans to build 300 new homes during the next five
years. To achieve its goal, the organization must
identify properties where it can build multiple homes.
The TCHH obtains property through donations, and
owns several brownfields across the Twin Cities
where there is aneedforaffordablehousing. Because
of real or perceived contamination, however, these
properties must first be assessed and, if needed,
cleaned up.
PILOTSNAPSHOT
Twin Cities Metropolitan
Council, Minnesota
Dateof Announcement:
June 1999
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
six Twin Cities Habitat for
Humanity-owned brownfields
for assessment, cleanup, and
redevelopment as low-
income, multi-unit housing.
Contacts:
Twin Cities
Twin Cities Metropolitan
Council
(651) 602-1406
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 5
(312)353-3161
Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/
For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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The Pilot will target six properties. One targeted site
is the Foslien property in east St. Paul, which has
suspected contamination because it is adjacent to a
roofing company' s storage yard, and rusting, industrial-
sized storage drums litter both properties. After the
six properties are assessed, cleaned up, and determined
suitable for residential use, TCHH will work with the
community to design and build energy efficient housing
units.
OBJECTIVES
The Twin Cities' objectives are to mitigate public
health and environmental risks, increase the local tax
base, curb urban sprawl, address environmental justice
issues, and better use existing infrastructure. The
Pilot will assist these goals by conducting site
assessments and developing cleanup plans to facilitate
the return of once-contaminated properties in
residential areas to productive and attractive sites for
community residents. Through this Pilot, the partners
will demonstrate workable approaches to residential
brownfields redevelopment on sites where the highest
and best use does not include industrial or commercial
end uses. This Pilot will help the Twin Cities'
communities define the appropriate role of residential
and affordable housing projects in brownfields
redevelopment, and will also complement other local
efforts to address barriers to low-income home
ownership posed by contamination in urbanized areas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Develop site selection criteria, evaluate and identify
six sites for assessment;
• Conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental
assessments on six sites;
• Develop cleanup plans for residential redevelopment,
as needed;
• Prepare Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup
Program applications for the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency to obtain liability protection for
selected sites; and
• Involve and educate community members about the
target sites using geographic information system
(GIS) data displays, community meetings, and
newsletters and incorporate community input into
land use decisions.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
June 1999
Twin Cities Metropolitan Council, Minnesota
EPA500-F-99-144
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