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Brownfields Training, Research,

     and Technical Assistance

           Grant Fact Sheet


 California Department of

        Toxic Substances

                  Control

EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, tribes.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  EPA
funds eligible applicants through assistance agreements to
provide training, research, and technical assistance to
facilitate brownfields revitalization.

Organization Description

The mission of the California Department of Toxic
Substances Control (DTSC) is to provide the highest level
of safety to residents and protect public health and the
environment from toxic substances. DTSC regulates
hazardous waste, cleans up existing contamination,  and
looks for ways to reduce the hazardous waste produced in
California. Approximately 1,000 scientists, engineers, and
specialized support staff make sure that companies and
individuals transport, store, treat, dispose of, and clean up
hazardous waste appropriately. Through these measures,
DTSC contributes to greater safety for all Californians.

Project Description

Mine-scarred lands in California are a major threat to
human health and the environment, and a major challenge
for brownfields revitalization. The California Department
of Conservation has identified 47,000 abandoned mines
in California. These mines present a threat to human
health and the environment from arsenic, mercury, and
other heavy metals, as well as from acid mine drainage
and physical hazards. Through this project, the California
Department of Toxic Substances Control will focus on
the threat to human health from arsenic at these  mine-
                                                       California  Mine-Scarre
                                                       Lands  Project
 Grantee:
 California Department of Toxic Substances Control

 Project Focus:
 Research to Advance the Science of Characterizing
 Arsenic at Mine-Scarred Land Sites

 Project Period:
 October 2008 to September 2013

 Estimated Annual Funding Amount:
 $150,000
 Contacts
 For further information about the California Department
 of Toxic Substances Control and its brownfields technical
 assistance activities, visit http://www.dtsc.ca.gov. For
 more information about this project, call 916-255-3730.

 For further information, including specific grant contacts,
 additional grant information, brownfields news and
 events, and publications and links, visit the EPA
 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
 or call 202-566-2777.

 * The information presented in this fact sheet comes from
 the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of
 this information. The implementation plan for the grant
 has not yet been finalized. Therefore, activities described
 in this fact sheet are subject to change.
scarred lands. Arsenic is the key chemical of concern at
the majority of brownfield projects at former gold mine
sites in the California Mother Lode and Southern
California desert areas. Due to the high cancer potency of
arsenic, sites are often required to be cleaned up to
background conditions. The project's research will
advance the science of characterizing arsenic at mine-
scarred land sites and improve the ability to determine
appropriate cleanup levels at arsenic-contaminated sites.
                                                            Solid Waste and
                                                            Emergency Response
                                                            (5105T)
                          EPA560-F-08-286
                          September 2008
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields

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