Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet South St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority, MN EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states. communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield 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. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. 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 South St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. South St. Paul (population 20,167) was once a one-industry town. Its economic base for most of the 20th century was the South St. Paul Stockyards and related industries, including the livestock market exchange, packing and rendering plants, and tanneries. When the city's major employers closed, the impact on the economy was devastating. The Authority will focus on the city's BridgePoint area for assessments. Historical activities in the area involved the use and storage of both petroleum and non-petroleum-related volatile organic compounds. The percentage of South St. Paul residents living in poverty is significantly higher than its neighboring cities. Brownfield assessments will quantify the risk to human health and the environment posed by sites and are expected to lead to cleanup and redevelopment. Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $100,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the South St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct between 10 and 15 Phase I and between 3 and 5 Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct between four and seven Phase I and between two and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct an area-wide vapor intrusion investigation and support 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 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team (312)886-7576 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields) Grant Recipient: South St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority,MN (651)554-3270 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 negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-09-097 May 09 ------- |