Minnesota Brownfields Blog
Photo by American Public Power Association on UnsplashThe Brightfields Initiative: Legislative Update
Nationwide, support for solar generation is growing, particularly as states begin to develop solar arrays on closed landfills and contaminated, abandoned properties. Brightfields – contaminated sites with potential for solar energy generation – have seen particular success on the East Coast, where states like Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island have implemented solar photovoltaic installations on […]
Emerging Contaminants: Focus on PFAS Forum Update
After a successful forum last month, we are taking a moment to reflect on the wonderful network of professionals we have the opportunity to connect with at events like our Emerging Contaminants: Focus on PFAS Forum. The day was brimming with speakers and perspectives from across the region. The range of industry experience in the […]
Minnesota Brownfields Goes to Washington: Recapping the National Brownfields Leadership Summit
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 […]
Land Reuse for Urban Agriculture
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 […]
Leveraging Brownfields to Drive Climate Smart Growth
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 […]
Funding a Brownfield Project – Putting the Puzzle Together
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
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 […]
2017 U.S. EPA National Brownfields Training Conference Recap
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 […]
The Future is Bright for Solar Energy on Capped Landfills
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 […]
Brownfield Health Indicator Tool Gives Blighted Sites Across the State a Healthy Second Chance
A new tool brings hope to some of Minnesota’s more than 10,000 former industrial or commercial sites that are underused or abandoned due to concerns about hazardous contaminants. Revitalizing these sites – called brownfields – can bring people and jobs back to areas, improve neighborhoods, help the environment and promote public health. The City of […]
Can You Dig it? Minnesota Looks at Potential for Greater Reuse of Regulated Fill Soils
States around the U.S. have different regulations governing how regulated (contaminated) fill soils at redevelopment sites are managed, and whether they can be reused. The most common practice is what’s called “dig and dump”, or excavating soils with contaminant concentrations in exceedance of permitted levels, then hauling those soils to an area landfill to use […]
2015 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Brownfields Training Conference Preview
About 60 redevelopment professionals gathered in Washington, DC last week to review abstracts for the 2015 EPA Brownfields Conference. I joined a small group in the Creating More Sustainable Communities track. Our group was impressed by excellent proposals from around the country spanning topics ranging from climate change, to green infrastructure, renewable energy, public benefit reuse, urban […]