Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4 Million Through Investing in America Agenda for Cleanup and Technical Assistance at Polluted Brownfield Sites in Minnesota

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4 Million Through Investing in America Agenda for Cleanup and Technical Assistance at Polluted Brownfield Sites in Minnesota

EPA announces the largest investment ever in brownfields communities made by President Biden's Investing in America Agenda

May 25, 2023

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a total of $4 millionfrom President Biden's Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Minnesota while advancing environmental justice.

Hennepin Countywill receive $3 million,and the Saint Paul Port Authoritywill receive $1 millionin non-competitive supplemental funding to continue their successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)programs and provide more loans and subgrants to help finance more cleanups.

These investments are part of President Biden's Investing in America Agendato grow the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out - from rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, to driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

"We're working across the country to revitalize what were once dangerous and polluted sites in overburdened communities into more sustainable and environmentally just places that serve as community assets. Thanks to President Biden's historic investments in America, we're moving further and faster than ever before to clean up contaminated sites, spur economic redevelopment, and deliver relief that so many communities have been waiting for," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan."This critical wave of investments is the largest in Brownfields history and will accelerate our work to protect the people and the planet by transforming what was once blight into might."

"Given the Midwest's rich industrial history, it's no surprise that the Minnesotahas a significantportionof EPA's funded brownfields sites," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. "Thanks to the historic brownfields investment announced today, more communities will get the financial help they need to transform abandoned, blighted properties into assets that attract business and community development."

"This federal funding will help provide Hennepin County and the St. Paul Port Authority with the resources they need to continue to clean up polluted properties and project sites," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar."By restoring these areas, we can create critical new development opportunities for businesses, enhance safety and quality of life for families who live around these sites, and protect our environment."

Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.

Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA's Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfield and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.

EPA's Brownfields Program also advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations into all aspects of its work.Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will extend Hennepin County's and the Saint Louis Port Authority's capacity to help finance more cleanups in the most underserved areas.

In addition to the $7,283,713 in EPA funds already awarded, the Hennepin County Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)has been selected to receive an additional $3,000,000through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 10 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include the Universal Plating Site and Upper Harbor Terminal projects in Minneapolis. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Hennepin County.

"Thanks to this grant from the EPA, Hennepin County will be able to expand our work to clean up contamination to promote reinvestment and environmental justice in our communities," said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando."The grant will replenish our Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, which for 23 years has been used to clean up brownfields, create jobs and housing, and improve access to green spaces. These investments directly assist disadvantaged communities, including those identified by the federal Justice40 Initiative, while keeping the community in place to benefit from the improvements."

In addition to the $8,550,000 in EPA funds already awarded, the Saint Paul Port Authority Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)has been selected to receive an additional $1,000,000through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to five cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include two auto salvage yards in Saint Paul. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the City of St. Paul.

"We are amazingly grateful for supplemental RLF dollars and our partnership with the EPA Region 5," said Kathryn Sarnecki, Chief Development Officer for the Saint Paul Port Authority."These funds will be instrumental in allowing the Saint Paul Port Authority to remediate a significant brownfield on the Eastside of Saint Paul. With funds in place, we are able totake a vacant, polluted golf course and transform it into a bustling hub in an underserved neighborhood with 1,000 jobs and nearly as many affordable housing units."

You can read more about this year's RLF Grant recipients, here.

Additional Background:

EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. EPA's investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged more than $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has leveraged, from both public and private sources, nearly 260,000 jobs.Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leverage an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar.

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 8-11, 2023,in Detroit, Michigan. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

• For more on Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
• For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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