The Sioux Falls Brownfields Project: Analysis Of Project Issues And Tools Used

This paper will summarize the Sioux Falls Brownfields Project that was awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1997. It will provide a background to the project along with the issues and the tools that were used by the project team in order for the project to move forward. The emphasis of the paper will be about the lessons that were learned which will assist other communities that are found in rural areas that don't have the experience that is typically found in more populated areas. Some of the issues that will be discussed include access issues; sites with existing operations; unknown cleanup standards; and the City’s potential liability. This project has been a learning experience for all of the stakeholders and will eventually result in the success of a new park and creation of a commercial/retail redevelopment area. The downtown has slowly emerged from distress. Once the final milestone is completed, it will be a significant step in revitalizing the rest of the downtown area of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This project will be used as a model for other smaller communities located in areas that are considered to be rural because of population size.