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Southern California agencies receive $1.8 million in U.S. EPA Brownfields land revitalization grants

Release Date: 04/08/2008
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, cell (213) 798-1404

(04/08/08) LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today awarded $1.8 million in Brownfields grants to five local agencies in Southern California.

Brownfields grant money given to the groups will develop inventories of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, perform environmental site assessments, conduct contaminated site cleanups, and support community outreach activities. .

“The EPA is very pleased to provide funding for work in these deserving Southern California communities," said Debbie Schechter, manager of EPA’s Pacific Southwest region’s Brownfields program. "Work conducted under our Brownfields program grants will provide the type of assistance necessary to transform these underutilized lands into community assets."

Communities and agencies in 43 states, two Tribal Nations and two territories will share over $74 million in Brownfields grants designed to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites and allow for productive community use.

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The EPA’s Brownfields program authorizes up to $250 million in grant funds annually and encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

The following are the five groups given grants:
* City of San Bernardino - $400,000 to develop an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, conduct environmental site assessments, and support community outreach activities;
* Corona Redevelopment Agency - $400,000 to conduct environmental assessments for sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, and support community outreach activities;
* Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency - $400,000 to create an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, conduct environmental site assessments, and support community outreach activities;
* City of Los Angeles - $200,000 to screen industrial and commercial properties for petroleum contamination, conduct environmental site assessments, and support community involvement activities in the Los Angeles River Sustainability Area;
* City of Lynwood - $400,000 to perform environmental site assessments for sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, and support community outreach activities;

Since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA has awarded 1255 assessment grants totaling over $298.6 million, 230 revolving loan fund grants totaling over $217.7 million, and 426 cleanup grants totaling $78.7 million.

For more information, please visit: http://epa.gov/brownfields/

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