Entries by Joe Mahowald

Minnesota Brownfields Goes to Washington: Recapping the National Brownfields Leadership Summit

October 5, 2018 in /by

Minnesota Brownfields Goes to Washington: Recapping the National Brownfields Leadership Summit by Martha Faust, Minnesota Brownfields Executive Director Last week, brownfield experts and advocates from across the country convened in Washington, D.C. for the inaugural National Brownfields Leadership Summit. Organized by the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR or “see clear”), the National Brownfields Leadership […]

Brownfield Basics – Duluth Workshop

July 24, 2018 in /by

  Brownfield Basics – Duluth Workshop Minnesota Brownfields proudly presented a Brownfield Basics educational session alongside our partners: the City of Duluth, American Engineering Testing, Barr Engineering, and Bay West. This half-day session focused on brownfield redevelopment tips and solutions to common brownfield issues. Several Duluth area case studies were presented to depict the steps needed for successful redevelopments. The […]

2017 Minnesota Real Estate Journal Brownfields Redevelopment Summit

June 22, 2018 in /by

The 2017 Minnesota Real Estate Journal Brownfields Redevelopment Summit focused on key areas of brownfield redevelopment in the real estate arena. Event Information: Date – May 25, 2018 Location – Golden Valley Country Club Agenda Items: Brownfield Real Estate Game Theory: How Deals get Done      Betsy Schmiesing, Winthrop & Weinstine Jesse Silverstein, Development Research Partners […]

Minnesota Brownfields at the 2017 U.S. EPA Brownfields Conference

June 22, 2018 in /by

  Events Organized by Minnesota Brownfields Soil Reuse – Panel Session Wednesday, December 6, 2017 “Dig It: Global Approaches to Contaminated Soil Reuse” Environmental attorney Sara Peterson co-presents with Nick Willenbrock of the United Kingdom on approaches to soil reuse in the United Kingdom and the United States. This presentation stems from Minnesota Brownfields’ work with the Minnesota […]

Social Event: Tour of the Treasure Island Center in St. Paul and St. Paul Saints Game – In Partnership with the Economic Development Association of Minnesota

June 6, 2018 in /by

Spend a summer evening by touring the newly redeveloped Treasure Island Center in downtown St. Paul and enjoying a St. Paul Saints game at Minnesota’s favorite minor league baseball stadium, CHS Field. This event is a member-only event with our partners at the Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM). On the tour, hear from the […]

Land Reuse for Urban Agriculture

May 24, 2018 in /by

Hava Blair – Minnesota Brownfields, Program Coordinator: My first job after college was transforming a golf course into an urban farm. I graduated with a degree in geology and a passion for food and community service, and I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the growing urban agriculture movement. Although the term “brownfield” was […]

2018 Minnesota Real Estate Journal Brownfields Redevelopment Summit

May 23, 2018 in /by

The 2018 Minnesota Real Estate Journal Brownfields Redevelopment Summit featured key topics such as vapor intrusion, strategic data practices for real estate acquisitions, and funding mechanisms for brownfield redevelopment projects. The event also included a presentation on the development of Allianz Field, the new stadium to Minnesota United FC that is set to open in […]

2018 State of Brownfields: A State and Federal Policy Update

May 14, 2018 in /by

The 2018 State of Brownfields event featured a breakdown of key Minnesota and Federal policy initiatives from the past year. In addition, attendees were presented with a brief update on the Minnesota Brightfields Initiative: an interdisciplinary group working to advance solar energy on capped landfills in Minnesota. Date: June 19, 2018 Speakers: Matt Glaesman, City of […]

Leveraging Brownfields to Drive Climate Smart Growth

April 13, 2018 in /by

Issac Evans – Research and Policy Intern: Each April we celebrate both Earth Day and Arbor Day, two holidays focused on improving our relationship to the planet. In other words, it’s the ideal time of year to highlight the role that brownfield redevelopment can play in advancing climate friendly development here in Minnesota. But why […]

Federal Brownfield Spending Expanded: BUILD Act included in Passage of FY18 Omnibus Package

March 28, 2018 in /by

On March 23, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 – more commonly called the omnibus package. The appropriations bill sets spending limits for government agencies and programs through the end of September, 2018. It also incorporated additional spending items. The BUILD Act was included in the FY18 omnibus package, reauthorizing the U.S. Environmental Protection […]

Funding a Brownfield Project – Putting the Puzzle Together

March 15, 2018 in /by

Properties and infill sites that are contaminated or environmentally damaged may be the most puzzling for developers. These sites, referred to as “brownfields”, exhibit added redevelopment complexities. Minnesota is fortunate to have an abundance of public resources available that help to make these redevelopments possible. Here is a rundown of the programs offered in Minnesota. […]

Dig It: Rethinking how we Manage Soil at Redevelopment Sites

February 21, 2018 in /by

Martha Faust and Sarah Sieloff (Center for Creative Land Recycling): When is soil just “dirt”, when is it a waste, and when is it a resource? The answer may be in the eye of the beholder. Given the length of time it takes to create 1 cm3 of topsoil (estimated at 200-400 years), the current approach to […]

Forum – When Vapor Intrusion Strikes: Staying Ahead of the Plume

January 26, 2018 in /by

Vapor intrusion continues to have a significant impact on the redevelopment community. Attendees learned about key updates, issues, and challenges related to vapor intrusion at commercial and industrial sites in Minnesota. The forum featured a region-wide perspective on vapor intrusion policy and regulations in the Midwest. Presenters included representatives from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Wisconsin Department […]

Soil Reuse Webinars – February 7 & 14, 2018

January 19, 2018 in /by

  Minnesota Brownfields proudly partnered with the Center for Creative Land Recycling on two webinars on the subject of soil reuse. Part I – Dig It: Reusing Contaminated Soil in the U.K. and U.S. Redevelopment sites throughout the U.S. are confronted by how to manage surplus marginally-to-moderately contaminated soil. The default practice of landfilling surplus […]

2017 U.S. EPA National Brownfields Training Conference Recap

December 15, 2017 in /by

The 2017 EPA National Brownfields Training Conference is officially in the books. From December 4 through December 7, Minnesota Brownfields staff were in Pittsburgh at the EPA’s flagship conference for brownfields professionals. The bi-annual get together served as a tremendous opportunity to share best practices and new ideas. A major theme that resonated throughout the […]

Hopportunity Knocks, Again: More Brownfields, Beer, and the Law

October 4, 2017 in /by

Minnesota Brownfields and the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Environmental, Natural Resource, and Energy Law section proudly presented an informative session on redevelopment and craft breweries. Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 Location: Utepils Brewery Program Agenda: Environmental Law Hot Topics Historical Fill Reuse Liability – Sara Peterson, Parkway Law Vapor Liability – Elizabeth Schmiesing, Winthrop & Weinstein Brownfield Funding […]

The Future is Bright for Solar Energy on Capped Landfills

August 4, 2017 in /by

Solar energy production has taken off in Minnesota over the past few years, and especially in the last handful of months. In 2017, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the solar energy capacity has tripled in the state during the first quarter of the year. Currently, the energy capacity for solar in Minnesota is twelve times […]