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Brownfields 2006
Grant Fact Sheet
Oakland Housing
Authority, 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 Oakland Housing Authority was selected to receive
a brownfields cleanup grant. Located on the Northern
California coast, Oakland (population 399,484) has had
chronic unemployment problems since the dismantling
of a manufacturing industry that accompanied the end
of World War II. The unemployment rate is 7.4 percent,
and 19.4 percent of individuals live in poverty.
Oakland's commercial and industrial zones comprise
8,000 acres, of which 1,000 acres are confirmed or
potential brownfields. During the past 20 years, a large
number of manufacturing jobs have been lost due to
plant closures and relocations, which have led to
unused, vacant, and underutilized properties. The
brownfield that will be cleaned up using the awarded
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Oakland Housing Authority
for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to clean up
the Tassafaronga Village Revitalization Plan site
at 1001 83rd Avenue, which encompasses three
former public housing buildings and an adjacent
pasta factory parcel. The site is suspected to have
heavy metals, acetone, and petroleum hydrocar-
bons contamination from its use over the years as
an auto repair shop, trucking service station, auto
storage/salvage yard, and methamphetamine lab.
Grant funds also will be used for community
outreach activities.
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: Oakland Housing Authority, CA
510-587-2112
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
grant funds is located in East Oakland, where the
individual poverty rate ranges from 13 percent to 33
percent, and the per capita income ranges from 31
percent to 57 percent of the city per capita income. After
the brownfield is cleaned up, the Housing Authority
intends to build a mixed-income residential development
project that will contain up to 140 units and a pedestrian
greenbelt. Brownfields redevelopment will sustain a
neighborhood revitalization, eliminate a source of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-06-182
May 2006
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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criminal activity, and bring much needed affordable
housing to the area.
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