Brownfields Management Program Environmental Management Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial or commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is hindered by actual or suspected soil contamination. A brownfield may also be developed real estate that is still contaminated.
Many factors contribute to the abandonment of brownfields.
This is the primary reason these sites are abandoned. Minneapolis is among the first cities in the country to reclaim abandoned brownfields. The Minneapolis Community Development Agency is actively involved in remediating polluted sites for redevelopment, Minneapolis Public Works is active in the clean up of City owned property that may have been polluted in the past, and the Park and Recreation Board restores these sites as open spaces and parks. Minneapolis Environmental Management has regulatory responsibility for all brownfields located in the City of Minneapolis. This department works closely with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to locate and monitor the polluted sites in Minneapolis.