United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-119
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
\>EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Signal Hill, 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 Signal Hill for a
Brownfields Pilot. Signal Hill was also selected to
receive additional funding for assessments at
Brownfields properties to be used for greenspace
purposes. Signal Hill, in southern California, has a
population of 9,13 3, with 40 percent being minorities.
Approximately 60 percent of the city's 1,408 acres
contains properties with real or perceived
contamination that has resulted from various industrial
uses. In addressing its brownfields, the city wouldlike
to build on the enthusiasm surrounding the proposed
Long Beach Sports Park, which is slated to be built
near the center of Signal Hill and is a result of the City
of Long Beach's Brownfields Pilot. Widespread
public support for the sports park has raised interest
in revitalizing the economy and redeveloping the
brownfield properties in Signal Hill.
OBJECTIVES
The city plans to target at least five high-priority sites
to serve as models for redevelopment. One of the
candidate sites is a 41-acre area that is adjacent to the
site of the proposed sports park. This area consists of
a number of separate parcels that share a history
similar to that of the sports park location—multiple
PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $200,000
Greenspace: $50,000
Profile: The Signal Hill Pilot will
inventory 840 acres of potential
brownfield properties and select at
least five high-priority sites for
assessment and cleanup and
redevelopment planning. Inaddition,
the Pilot will use greenspace funding
to select up to five sites for
assessmentand planning.
Signal Hill, CA
Contacts:
Department of Economic
Redevelopmentand Housing
(562)989-7375
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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industrial uses that have left a strong potential for
materials co-mingled with petroleum hydrocarbons
and debris. The Pilot will inventory the city's
brownfields, select at least five high-priority sites, and
conduct Phase I and Phase II site assessments at
targeted sites. One of the city's goals for the Pilot is
to coordinate involvement of property owners,
residents, city planners, and other stakeholders in
creating a redevelopment plan.
The city's master plan includes expanding its
greenspace from 22.5 acres to 45 acres, which will
include parks, playgrounds, trails, gardens, habitat
restoration, and greenspace preservation. Pilotfunding
will be used for assessment, restoration planning, and
community outreach.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Developing an inventory of potential sites and ranking
them in order of priority;
• Identifying at least five high-priority sites on the
basis of stakeholder support, qualification for Pilot
funding, and potential for redevelopment;
• Conducting Phase I and Phase II assessments on
the selected sites;
• Creating a community and business interaction plan
to encourage participation in all phases of the Pilot
program, including conducting public seminars and
workshops; and
• Identifying a maximum of five sites for possible
greenspace restoration.
The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subjectto change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Signal Hill, CA
May2000 EPA 500-F-OO-119
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