EPA Announces More Than $2.2 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup Minnesota Communities
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of $2,299,593 in Brownfields grants to two organizations in Minnesota that will assess, cleanup, and revitalize local lands. Nationally, EPA announced the selection of $267 million in Brownfields grants to communities across the United States.
“The $267 million in Brownfield grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “EPA’s Brownfields program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.”
“Brownfields grants empower communities to reclaim and revitalize areas that have previously been underutilized,” said EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel. “By addressing the challenges posed by these sites, we are not only protecting public health and the environment but also unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and community development.”
This round of selectees from Minnesota receiving cleanup and assessment grants include:
- Green New Deal Housing has been selected to receive a $299,593 Brownfields cleanup grant to clean up the former Irving Infill site in the City of Duluth, located at 218 S. 59th Avenue. The property was used as a landfill for many years and is now contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, metals and petroleum products.
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been selected to receive a $2 million Brownfields community-wide assessment grant to conduct 40 Phase I and 25 Phase II environmental site assessments. Funds also will be used to perform 10 hazardous building materials surveys, develop 20 cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. The target areas for this grant are Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis, Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, the City of Wilmar and the City of Cass Lake, located on the Leech Lake Reservation.
Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA.
View the list of selected applicants here.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 220,500 jobs.