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Northern California agencies receive $4.2 million in U.S. EPA Brownfields land revitalization grants

Release Date: 04/08/2008
Contact Information: Wendy Chavez (415) 947-4248 [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today awarded $4.2 million in Brownfields grants to 12 Northern California community redevelopment agencies.

The groups will use the grants to develop inventories and assess sites contaminated by hazardous substances, clean up contaminated sites, and support community outreach activities.

“The EPA is very pleased to provide funding for work in these deserving Northern California communities," said Debbie Schechter, manager of EPA’s Pacific Southwest region’s Brownfields program. "Work conducted under our Brownfields 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.

Grants have been given to the following groups:
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the communities of Sutter Creek and Jackson - $200,000 to create an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances, input site information into geographic information system, and conduct environmental site assessments;

- Yolo County - $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 West Sacramento - $200,000 to cleanup a site contaminated with hazardous substances;

- City of Tulare - $200,000 to remove hazardous substances from a local site, assist in cleanup planning and oversight, and support community involvement activities;

- City of Sutter Creek - $200,000 to conduct an environmental site assessment for hazardous substances, and support community involvement activities;

- Satellite Housing, Inc. of Manteca - $200,000 to remove hazardous pesticides, and support community involvement activities;

- Petaluma Community Development Commission - $1 million for hazardous substances and petroleum cleanup, and to support community involvement activities;

- Humboldt County - $400,000 to develop an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, conduct environmental site assessments, and support community involvement activities;

- Fresno Redevelopment Agency - $200,000 to address hazardous substances contamination, and support community involvement activities;

- City of Eureka - $600,000 for hazardous substances cleanup and support community outreach activities;

- City of Emeryville - $400,000 to conduct environmental site assessments for sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum; and

- Sacramento Capitol Area Development Authority - $200,000 to remove hazardous substances from a more than century-old residential site.

Since the beginning of the Brownfields program, the EPA has awarded 1,255 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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