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  Brownfields  2006

  Grant  Fact Sheet

          Oakland, CA


EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders 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, President George W. Bush 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Oakland was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located on the San
Francisco Bay, Oakland (population 399,484) will
assess brownfields in an area of the city that is a
federally designated Enhanced Enterprise Community/
Enterprise Zone. Approximately 76 percent of the
city's residents are minorities, including 36 percent
African-American and 22 percent Hispanic.  Fifty-five
percent of families in Oakland live below the poverty
level. During the past 20 years, a large number of
manufacturing jobs have been lost due to plant clo-
sures and relocations, leading to unused, vacant, and
underutilized properties. Of the city's 8,000  acres of
commercial and industrial land, 1,000 acres  are
confirmed or potential brownfields. After brownfields
are assessed and eventually cleaned up, they will be
  Assessment Grants
  $200,000 for hazardous substances
  $200,000 for petroleum

  EPA has selected the City of Oakland for two
  brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
  substances and petroleum grant funds will be
  used to perform Phase II environmental site
  assessments in an area around the Coliseum Bay
  Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station. Funds also
  will be used for community outreach activities
  and cleanup planning.
  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
  415-972-3092
  http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/
  index.html

  Grant Recipient: City of Oakland, CA
  510-238-7371

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
become the site of a mixed-use, transit-oriented devel-
opment project that will include new housing units and
a pedestrian plaza or walkway. Brownfields redevelop-
ment will provide jobs, increase city revenue, reduce
pressure to build on agricultural or other undeveloped
land, strengthen existing neighborhoods, reduce depen-
dency on automobiles, and reduce threats to human
health and the environment.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                          EPA560-F-06-181
                          May 2006
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields

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