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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Merced
Redevelopment
Agency, 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, 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 Merced Redevelopment Agency was selected to
receive a brownfields assessment grant. With a popula-
tion of 63,893, Merced is the largest population center in
Merced County, but only five counties in California have
income levels lower than that of Merced County.
Unemployment frequently exceeds 15 percent, and
approximately 40 percent of the population is dependent
on some form of public assistance. Merced is the sixth
most ethnically diverse community in the United States.
Hmong refugees joined Anglo and Hispanic populations
in Merced during the 1980s, and now constitute about 12
percent of the population. These new populations have
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Merced Redevelopment
Agency for a brownfields assessment grant.
Grant funds will be used to conduct Phase I and
II site assessments at the former Simpson's
Cleaners site in a one-block area of downtown
Merced. Grant funds also will be used to assess
human health risks, and support 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
415-972-3188
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/
index.html
Grant Recipient: Merced Redevelopment Agency,
CA
209-385-6827
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
settled in South and Central Merced, where the city is
focused on revitalizing a one-block area of downtown
that contains vacant land and older development. The
target site, the former Simpson's Cleaners, included a
dry cleaning facility on the north side of the property.
Because a gas station may have operated on its south-
ern boundary, petroleum contamination is suspected at
the site. Merced's central area also has had significant
perchloroethylene contamination and hydrocarbon
pollution. Redevelopment will address human health
risks that are especially important to low-income
residents, create jobs through private investment, and
remove environmental uncertainty.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-05-140
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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