United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-096
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
\>EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
South Gate, CA
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods
to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
EPA has selected the City of South Gate for a
Brownfields Pilot. South Gate was also selected to
receive additional funding for assessments at
Brownfields properties to be used for greenspace
purposes. The South Gate Pilot, in partnership with
the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, targets
brownfields within the predominantly minority (70
percent) cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce,
Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Maywood,
Paramount, South Gate, and Vernon. Historically,
these communities (populations totaling 420,000) relied
on manufacturing for economic development and
j obs. However, as industrial output declined, the area
was left with high unemployment and environmental
contamination. An estimated 50,000 jobs in the
aerospace industry alone were lost from 1988 to 1995.
To date, 76 brownfields have been identified within
the 10 cities, comprising 124acresofthe 12.29 square
miles of industrial land in the project area.
OBJECTIVES
The Pilot will identify brownfields with the best
potential for reuse through a community-based, site
selection process. This focused approach will then
build support within the local communities and the
PILOT SNAPSHOT
South Gate, CA
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $200,000
Greenspace: $50,000
Profile: The Pilottargets brownfields
in 10 disadvantaged cities in Los
Angeles. Assessment and cleanup
ofthese sites willfacilitatejobcreation
and economicgrowth in these cities.
Contacts:
South Gate
(323)563-9530
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA- Region 9
(415)744-2237
Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html
Forfurther information, including specific Pilot contacts,
additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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private sector for brownfields assessment and
cleanup, leading to the overall economic goals ofj ob
creation and new industrial capacity. In addition, the
Pilot will use greenspace funds to perform an
environmental assessment of a site in the City of
Maywood. Maywood is the most densely populated
city in the state, with only 5.8 acres of parkland
currently. This Pilot will help provide open space
and recreation opportunities to the city.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Performing a brownfields site inventory to identify
sites with the best potential for redevelopment;
• Carrying out community-based site selection of
brownfields suitable for reuse;
• Conducting preliminary screening assessments on
15 sites; performing Phase I assessments on three
to six sites, and performing a Phase II assessment
and developing a cleanup plan for the highest-
priority site; and
• Performing Phase I and II site assessments and
conducting community outreach activities at the
Maywood greenspace site.
The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subjectto change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot South Gate, CA
May2000 EPA 500-F-00-096
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