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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Humboldt County, CA
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield 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. On January 11, 2002, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants through four competitive grant programs:
assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup
grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
Humboldt County was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Humboldt County
(population 126,518) is a community in rural northwest
California that relied heavily on the lumber and wood
products industry for many years. In the 1950s, the
lumber industry employed 50 percent of the county's
labor force. With the decline of both the lumber and
fishing industries, workers shifted to lower paying jobs
in the service sector. The county's unemployment and
poverty rates are higher than the state average, with
more than 19 percent of county residents living in
poverty. The eight targeted areas represent the most
economically stagnant and blighted communities in
Humboldt County. Assessment and cleanup of the
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Humboldt County for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds and petroleum grant funds
will both be used to inventory and prioritize
brownfields sites, perform Phase I and Phase II
site assessments, and draft remediation plans for
prioritized sites within eight targeted county-wide
redevelopment areas. Funds will also be used to
develop a community involvement plan.
Contacts
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: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 9 Brownfields Team
415-972-3188
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/
Grant Recipient: Humboldt County, CA
707-268-3735
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
abandoned and underutilized properties in the county
are expected to facilitate the growth of manufacturing
and other industries to replace the timber and fishing
industries, and bolster the local economy. Since over 95
percent of the land in Humboldt County is not suitable
for development, revitalization of brownfields is critical
to this growth.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-04-062
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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