United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-136
April 1997
National Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
St Paul Port Authority, 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. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots 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.
OVERVIEW
EPA has selected the St. Paul Port Authority as a
Brownfields Pilot. Historically, the City of St. Paul's
industrial development evolved from its location as
both a navigation hub on the Mississippi River and
railroad center. No longer dependent on railroads or
shipping, facilities moving into the St. Paul area are
locating in areas outside the urban core.
The City of St. Paul has 4,000 acres of land zoned for
industrial use, but nearly 1,000 of these acres are
under-used or abandoned. Redevelopment of
industrial property needed to maintain the city's tax
base, increase employment opportunities, and attract
suitable industrial facilities has been limited due to
either known or suspected contamination. In addition
to the health issues associated with potential
contamination, many sites in the urban core have
deteriorating structures that attract illegal activities,
such as drug trafficking and vagrancy. Such conditions
foster further disinvestment in the inner city and
investment in undeveloped suburban greenfields,
perpetuating a cycle of urban core decline and
suburban sprawl.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Award:
April 1997
Amount: $146,000
Site Profile: The
brownfields pilot will focus
on up to six sites of under-
used and abandoned
industrial sites.
Sf. Paul Port Authority,
Minnesota
Contacts:
Lorrie Louder
St. Paul Port Authority
(612)224-5686
Mary Beth Tuohy
U.S. EPA-Region 5
(312)886-7596
tuohy.marybeth@
epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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OBJECTIVES
The goals of the St. Paul Port Authority are to
optimize the reuse of abandoned and under-used
industrial sites within the City of St. Paul, create
increased employment opportunities for local
residents, and generate sufficient tax revenues to
provide services needed for long-term, ecologically
sound, industrial growth. The Port Authority will
partner with neighborhood organizations to gain
support for redevelopment projects and workforce
development. The initial work will focus on up to six
sites targeted for redevelopment.
ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this pilot include:
• Working with neighborhood organizations to identify
up to six target brownfields sites for redevelopment;
• Conducting site assessments atupto six brownfields
sites;
• Preparing and publishing reports on the results of
the site assessments;
• Preparing response action or cleanup plans for one
to three targeted sites; and
• Partner with neighborhood organizations to establish
a workforce development plan.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
National Brownfields Assessment Pilot St. Paul Port Authority, Minnesota
April 1997 EPA 500-F-97-136
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