Brownfields 2011 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Chisholm, 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 City of Chisholm was selected to receive a brownfields assessment coalition grant. The city's coalition partners are 14 cities and townships (combined coalition population 44,999) in the Central Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota. Iron mining began in this area in the mid-1800s and continues today. Early miners built their homes near the mines where they worked. The result is land-locked communities that contain several acres of waste rock stockpiles, abandoned mine pits, and idle industrial facilities with very little remaining land for development. Between 2000 and 2008, the population of the coalition communities decreased by nearly five percent. Unemployment rates for the Cities of Hibbing and Virginia, the coalition's population centers, range from 14.5 to 16.1 percent. The area is poised to grow again due to the expansion of a large steel facility. The community is anticipating the need for new housing, industrial parks, and infrastructure. Brownfield assessments will allow the coalition to determine actions required to return properties to reuse. Assessment Grant $674,500 for hazardous substances $52,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Chisholm for a brownfields assessment coalition grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct 11 Phase I and 11 Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct one Phase I and one Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct 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: City of Chisholm,MN 218-254-7900 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) E PA 560-F-128-085 May 11 ------- |