MDEQ Holds ADVANCED Brownfield Workshop at MML Conference

Only one (1) of the twenty-two EPA Brownfield grant proposals submitted over the past two years from Mississippi communities has been successful.  The rest have fallen short in this highly competitive process.  In an effort to work on the quality of those submittals, MDEQ held an ADVANCED Brownfield Workshop on June 28, 2010 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Individuals with experience working on successful brownfield grant submittals from communities in other States were invited to be a part of the expert team for the workshop.  Here's how it worked:

Twenty two (22) people, representing nine (9)  eligible entities took part in small group discussions centered around the four Brownfield grant ranking criteria for Assessment grants.  There were Four Tables with 1-2 "experts" who were given an opportunity to share insight into the particular criterion followed by interaction between the participants.  Each table had about five (5) to six (6) individuals which allowed for a collaborative problem-solving atmosphere to develop.  With each table focusing on a particular criterion, the discussions were much more insightful than the typical plenary or panel discussion.  The four EPA Brownfield Assessment Ranking Criteria are:

1. Community Need;


2. Project Description and Feasibility of Success;


3. Community Engagement and Partnerships; and


4. Project Benefits

Each table was given around 30 minutes to talk about the subject and then the participants were allowed to move to the next table, much like the concept of "speed dating".  So far, the feedback has been very positive.  Stay tuned over the next several months as Southern Brownfield Report breaks down each of the Assessment Criteria into some detail.