Hennepin County marks 25 years of Environmental Response Fund, advances nearly $2.3M in new grants

Hennepin County highlighted the 25th anniversary of its Environmental Response Fund (ERF) at the Feb. 12 board meeting and described the program's role in brownfield cleanup and neighborhood revitalization.

"This work started in the mid‑1990s," Rosemary Lavin, director of the county's Environment and Energy Department, told the board while introducing a video of ERF projects. Lavin said the county created the ERF in 2001 to address pollution that stalled redevelopment and noted the fund followed a state law enabling a mortgage‑registry fee to support cleanup.

Staff cited program metrics: ERF has invested more than $80,000,000 across more than 500 projects, aided the development or retention of about 23,000 housing units, and contributed to creating or retaining some 25,000 jobs; completed ERF projects have increased property values by more than $3,400,000,000, staff said. Lavin added that nine ERF grants totaling nearly $2,300,000 would be before the board later in the meeting for approval.

Examples shown in the video included Juxtaposition Arts in North Minneapolis and Vista 44 in Hopkins, where a resident described moving into family supportive housing enabled by cleanup. Teddy Crow of the Red Lake Nation Embassy described how an industrial site was redeveloped into a community services facility.

Commissioners praised the program for combining environmental cleanup with economic and housing benefits. Marion Green called the program "policy gold" for transforming polluted lots into thriving community spaces.

Next steps: the nine ERF grants referenced by staff appear among consent items and were highlighted for board approval later in the agenda.