Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where financing or redevelopment is complicated by actual or suspected environmental contamination. Investigating and cleaning up brownfield properties allows for redevelopment without risking human health or accruing potential environmental liabilities. Redeveloping brownfield properties reduces urban sprawl, enhances the livability of neighborhoods, creates new jobs, and adds to the tax base.
The MPCA Brownfield Program is a fee-for-service program that provides technical assistance and issues liability assurance letters to promote the investigation, cleanup, and redevelopment of property that is contaminated with petroleum and hazardous substances. Program customers include property owners, prospective purchasers, developers, development agencies, lending institutions, nonprofit organizations, and local units of government.
Apply to the program
MPCA’s Brownfield Program is subdivided into two units: the Petroleum Brownfield (PB) unit oversees all petroleum contamination, and the Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) unit oversees all non-petroleum contamination/hazardous substances. Each unit authors their own technical assistance and liability letters; however, approval of work plans and response action plans can be issued in a joint letter. During the enrollment process, you request assistance from one or both units, depending on your project’s history and known or suspected contamination.
The current hourly rate is $150. Invoices will be sent to the applicant/billable party, as identified on the application. The amount of time it takes to review the report(s), provide feedback, and issue letters, varies by project. If a project is enrolled in both Petroleum Brownfields and VIC, there will be multiple staff working on a site and billing their time. Each unit sends its own monthly invoice for time spent working on the project during the previous month.
To enroll in the Brownfield Program, use MPCA's e-Services.
The application should include accurate and complete information about the applicant and property being enrolled, a cover letter describing the request, a recent Phase I ESA report, and other available environmental reports to support the requested assurance letters.
Key guidance
Electronic data submittals
Electronic data submittal is required for all sites in the Brownfield Program except sites requesting only a Petroleum Tank Removal Verification Letter, Petroleum General Liability Letter, or VIC Lender Letter. For all other requests, the Brownfield Program will not issue letters until the electronic data is received. See the MPCA’s Remediation data submittals webpage.
Grants for brownfield investigation
This MPCA grant program funds Phase I and Phase II investigations of brownfield properties to support safe redevelopment and reuse.
Find brownfield sites
Search for contaminated properties by location, type of contamination, or project/business name:
To request information about a specific brownfield project, complete an information request form. Direct questions about information requests to the MPCA Records Management staff (651-757-2728, 844-828-0942).
Additional resources
- Benefits of clean up and redevelopment (Minnesota Brownfields)
- Brownfields (U.S. EPA)
- Cleanup guidance and assistance
- Financial assistance for assessment and clean up of brownfield sites
- Brownfields in your community
- Technical Assistance to Brownfields program (Kansas State University)