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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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