United States
                  Environmental
                  Protection Agency
                  Washington, D.C.  20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-99-073
May 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
 >>EPA   Brownfields  Cleanup
                  Revolving   Loan   Fund  Pilot
                                                  Hennepin County, 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 brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans forthe 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

Several  hundred contaminated sites are located
throughout the county. As part of the upper mid-west
rail and river corridors, Hennepin County is experiencing
the effects of the contamination  of these  former
commercial and industrial sites. Many parcels of land
in Hennepin County are unavailable for redevelopment
because ofthe existence of contaminated soil. Mostof
this contamination relates to industrial land uses earlier
this century. These sites reduce the County'sproperty
tax valuation, its overall quality of life, and inhibit
efforts to retain and attract commercial and industrial
businesses. Hennepin County's BCRLF targets sites
throughoutthe County, with priority consideration for
sites within the Minneapolis EmpowermentZone (EZ),
and brownfields sites designated as special districts
such as  hazardous waste districts, tax increment
financing districts. The unemployment rate in the
Minneapolis  EZ is 14 percent and 45 percent of
residents are notinthe labor force. Hennepin County
is a Brownfields Assessment Pilot.

BCRLF  OBJECTIVES

Hennepin County will use BCRLF as an incentive to
stimulate the cleanup ofthe underutilized properties
scattered throughout the county.  The BCRLF will
 PILOT SNAPSHOT
  Hennepin County, Minnesota
Date of Announcement:
May 25,1999

Amount: $500,000

BCRLF Target Area:
Sites throughout the County,
with priority consideration for
sites within the Minneapolis
Empowerment Zone, sites
designated  as  special
districts, and sites situated in
disadvantaged communities
 Contacts:
 Program Director, Hennepin
 County Training and Employment
 Assistance
 (612) 348-5859
      Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
           www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/
   Region 5 Brownfields
   Coordinator
   (312) 886-4071
   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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provide gap financing flexibility that will be used to
leverage additional private and public funding. The
BCRLF loans also will be used in aid of proj ects where
non-tax generating uses including greenspace
redevelopment are planned, and as a funding source for
non-profit organizations to cleanup brownfields. Eligible
borrowers may include private for-profit businesses,
private non-profit businesses, and local public entities.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

Hennepin County will serve as lead agency and will
contract with the Community Reinvestment Fund
(CRF) as fund manager. The CRF has been providing
financial services to government entities for the past
decade. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will
assist the pilot in carrying out its site management
responsibilities.

LEVERAGING

Hennepin County  is partnering with  the  State of
Minnesota's Department of Trade  and Economic
Development (DTED), the Metropolitan Council, the
Minneapolis Community Development Corporation,
and other interested organizations  to enhance the
leveraging possibilities of the BCRLF. The DTED has
a contamination cleanup grant program that awards up
to 75 percent of the cleanup costs to eligible public
jurisdictions. Hennepin County will use B CRLF loans
in conjunction with the State program.
 Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
 CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
 also apply to BCRLF funds.
 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot                                 Hennepin County, Minnesota
 May 1999                                                                      EPA 500-F-99-073

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