EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Six, Number Two January/February 1997 CHURCH COALITION WORKS FOR "BROWNFIELDS" CLEAN-UP Interfaith Action (IA) a group of 24 churches in Minneapolis, and the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations (SPEAC), a group of 16 churches in St. Paul, have launched a campaign to generate a larger pool of money to clean up polluted urban land and to create jobs. There are over 3,000 acres of polluted land, so called "brownfields", in the core cities and inner-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities metro area. These vacant areas are not fit for affordable housing or business development. It is estimated that rehabilitating these polluted sites could create 47,000 new permanent jobs, provide over $78 million in property taxes and generate $62 million in new income taxes. Through the Metropolitan Livable Communities Act, the Metropolitan Council has been allocated close to $6.5 million for clean-up and development. However, an estimated $50 million is needed to rehabilitate the land. The Council has bond debts of $630 million for sewers and highways that benefit outer-ring suburbs. IA and SPEAC leaders are currently in discussions with legislators, the Metropolitan Council and private sector players regarding bonding projects to help the urban core for brownfields clean-up. For more write the Office for Social Justice, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 328 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul MN 55102; 612/ 291-4477. Home     Table of Contents