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/ ------- 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 ------- |