United States
                  Environmental
                  Protection Agency
                  Washington, D.C. 20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
   EPA 500-F-98-229
   July 1998
                   Brownfields Assessment
                   Demonstration  Pilot
                                   State of California  Trade
                                    and Commerce Agency
  Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
                 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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000  each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. The Pilots 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

EPAhas selectedthe California Trade and Commerce
Agency (TCA) for a Brownfields Pilot.  The Pilot,
along with funding from the State of California, will
establish the California Mill Reuse Program, which is
a publicly supported program to reuse closed and
abandoned wood products mill sites in the State. The
California Mill Reuse Program is based on the Oregon
Mill Site Conversion Project and the lessons learned
in that project since 1995.  The California Program
will be implemented by TCA and will work with the
Pilot on redevelopment plans for six targeted former
mill sites.

An initial survey identified  100 abandoned or closed
mills in an area covering 25 counties, primarily in the
northern half of California.  Further investigation
revealed that the total number of former mill sites in
California is much higher — there are close to 600
sites in just one county. The closure of timber mills
has resulted  in the 25-county area having a much
lower average income than the rest of the State. The
average unemployment rate is 10% and the average
poverty rate is 14.8% in these mostly rural counties.
 PILOT SNAPSHOT
   State of California
  Trade and Commerce
      Agency
                  Date of Announcement:
                  July 1998

                  Amount: $200,000

                  Profile: The Pilot will work
                  with the California Mill Reuse
                  Program to target six closed or
                  abandoned wood products mill
                  sites for redevelopment.
Contacts:

Trade and Commerce Agency
State of California
(916)322-1499
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

    Forfurtherinformation, 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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OBJECTIVES

The Pilot plans to establish a structure for public-
private cooperation to successfully develop closed or
abandoned mill sites throughout California.  Pilot
funding will be used exclusively to assess
environmental contamination on the target sites, and
conduct  community outreach activities directed
towards  those parties affected  by mill closures
(property owners, developers, and local residents).
The TCA' s long-term goal is that four of the targeted
sites will be converted from abandoned to at least
50%  use  within five  years of the  Pilot's
commencement.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Establishing a Proj ect Team to oversee formation of
 selection criteria, select sites, and provide technical
 assistance;

• Performing Phase  I  and  II environmental
 assessments on up to six closed  or abandoned mill
 sites;

• Recommending cleanup plans and financing sources
 for redevelopment of these sites; and

• Conducting community outreach activities at each
 participating mill site, including producing anewsletter,
 conducting  workshops, producing a Community
 Guidebook  for mill reuse,  and holding regular
 meetings.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
July 1998
State of California Trade and Commerce Agency
                      EPA 500-F-98-229

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