2006 Minnesota Statutes

383A.81 ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE FUND.
    Subdivision 1. Creation. An environmental response fund is created for the purposes
specified in this section. The taxes imposed by section 383A.80 must be deposited in the fund.
The board of county commissioners shall administer the fund either as a county board, a housing
and redevelopment authority, or a regional rail authority.
    Subd. 2. Uses of fund. The fund created in subdivision 1 must be used for the following
purposes:
(1) acquisition through purchase or condemnation of lands or property which are polluted
or contaminated with hazardous substances;
(2) paying the costs associated with indemnifying or holding harmless the entity taking
title to lands or property from any liability arising out of the ownership, remediation, or use of
the land or property;
(3) paying for the costs of remediating the acquired land or property;
(4) paying the costs associated with remediating lands or property which are polluted or
contaminated with hazardous substances; or
(5) paying for the costs associated with improving the property for economic development,
recreational, housing, transportation or rail traffic.
    Subd. 3. Matching funds. In expending funds under this section, the county shall seek
matching funds from contamination cleanup funds administered by the commissioner of the
Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Metropolitan Council, the federal
government, the private sector, and any other source.
    Subd. 4. Bonds. The county may pledge the proceeds from the taxes imposed by section
383A.80 to bonds issued under this chapter and chapters 398A, 462, 469, and 475.
    Subd. 5. Priorities. The first priority for the use of the environmental response fund created
in this section is to clean up the site located in the city of St. Paul known as the Dale Street Shops
and Maxson Steel site or other sites at or near rail lines that are blighted and the clean up of which
will lead to living wage jobs, and to improve the land for economic development.
    Subd. 6. Land sales. Land or property acquired under this section may be resold at fair
market value. Proceeds from the sale of the land must be deposited in the environmental response
fund.
    Subd. 7. DOT assistance. The commissioner of transportation shall collaborate with the
county and any affected municipality by providing technical assistance and support in cleaning up
a contaminated site related to a trunk highway or railroad improvement.
History: 1997 c 231 art 16 s 14; 1997 c 251 s 11,12; 1Sp2003 c 4 s 1