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Brownfields 2006
Grant Fact Sheet
Humboldt County, 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
Humboldt County was selected to receive a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. Located in
rural northwestern California, Humboldt County
(population 126,518) has suffered with the decline of
its two largest industries, timber and fishing. In the
1950s, the lumber industry employed approximately
half of the county's labor force. By 1997, it constituted
less than eight percent of the county's employment.
Although some of these lost jobs have been replaced
by service and tourism-sector jobs, the new jobs offer
the lowest average salaries. As living wages declined,
housing prices increased, putting home ownership out
of reach for more than 85 percent of county residents.
The poverty rate in Humboldt County is 19.5 percent,
and the unemployment rate is 6.3 percent. The county
has identified 186 leaking underground fuel tank sites
Revolving Loan Fund
Grant
$800,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Humboldt County for a revolv-
ing loan fund grant. The grant will be used to
capitalize a revolving loan fund from which
Humboldt County will provide loans and
subgrants to support cleanup activities at sites
contaminated with hazardous substances and
petroleum. Grant funds will be used to conduct
oversight of cleanup activities and solicit and
incorporate community involvement.
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: 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.
and 108 sites contaminated with hazardous substances
suspected of impacting water quality. In addition,
county staff have identified more than 1,500 acres
where the presence or potential presence of environ-
mental contamination hinders expansion, reuse, and
redevelopment. After brownfields site cleanup, the
properties will be used to facilitate the growth of
manufacturing and other industries to replace the
declining timber industry, as well as other resource-
based industries. Brownfields redevelopment is ex-
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-06-174
May 2006
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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pected to alleviate the shortage of industrial land in the
county, attract and retain businesses and tourists, and
address low-income housing shortages.
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