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  Brownfields 2006

  Grant  Fact Sheet

    Hennepin  County,

                   MN


EPA Brownfields  Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders 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, President George W. Bush 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

Hennepin County was selected to receive a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. Located in
eastern Minnesota, Hennepin County (population
1,116,200) is home to one-quarter of Minnesota's
population and includes Minneapolis and 44 suburbs.
It contains three federally designated Empowerment
Zones. Hennepin County has a proud past as an
important part of the river and rail corridor systems of
the upper-midwest. Today, the  county contends with
contamination at many of its former industrial and
commercial sites. These brownfields reduce the
county's property tax valuation and overall quality of
life, and inhibit efforts to attract businesses to the area.
Although there is no official inventory of brownfields
  Revolving Loan  Fund
  Grant
  $1,000,000 for petroleum

  EPA has selected Hennepin County for a
  brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant
  will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund
  from which Hennepin County will provide loans
  and subgrants to support cleanup activities at
  sites contaminated with petroleum. Grant funds
  also will be used to establish and market the loan
  fund, process and execute loans and subgrants,
  and conduct site-specific community outreach
  activities.
  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/R5 Brownfields/

  Grant Recipient: Hennepin County, MN
  612-348-5714

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
properties in the county, there are 1,300 contaminated
properties in Minneapolis alone and 3,350 contaminated
properties in the county that are enrolled in state
cleanup programs. Hennepin County has the second
lowest median household income in the Minneapolis-St.
Paul area, and an extraordinarily high rate of unemploy-
ment among residents of Minneapolis' Empowerment
Zones. Once cleaned up, the brownfields properties will
be used for economic development opportunities that
are expected to create jobs, increase the county's tax
base, and enhance the quality of life in the communities
throughout Hennepin County.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                          EPA560-F-06-123
                          May 2006
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields

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