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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

      Minneapolis,  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 this 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 programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Minneapolis was selected to receive two
brownfields  assessment grants. Located in southeast-
ern Minnesota, Minneapolis (population 382,618) is
focusing its brownfields efforts on three project areas
that are within federally designated Empowerment
Zones: Bassett Creek Valley/Heritage Park, North
Washington Industrial Park, and Franklin Street LRT
Station. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul region's overall
strong economy is not evenly distributed throughout the
city. Neighborhoods in the three project areas are
among the poorest in the Twin Cities region, with
poverty rates from 34 to 38 percent and unemployment
rates from 13 to 16.6 percent. In contrast, Hennepin
County as a  whole has a poverty rate of 3.9 percent
and an unemployment rate of 2.3 percent. In the
project neighborhoods, 66 percent of residents are
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the City of Minneapolis for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to perform from
 five to six Phase I and two to five Phase II envi-
 ronmental site assessments in three project areas:
 Bassett Creek Valley/Heritage Park, North Wash-
 ington Industrial Park, and Franklin Street LRT
 Station. Grant funds also will be used to support
 community outreach activities. Petroleum grant
 funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at
 sites with potential petroleum contamination.
 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: City of Minneapolis, MN
 612-673-5181

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
minorities. Former industries in these neighborhoods
include metal platers, scrap metal recyclers, and used
oil and solvent recyclers. Brownfields assessments are
expected to promote brownfields reuse that is consis-
tent with the Master Plans for these communities.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-08-123
                         April 2008
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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