5
              o
                            T>

  Brownfields  2006

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

            Visalia,  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 Visalia was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in central
California's San Joaquin Valley, Visalia (population
108,000) is known as the "Jewel of the Valley."
However, there are areas in the city where the poverty
rate is at least 37 percent, the unemployment rate is 21
percent, and per capita incomes are 25 percent lower
than the national average. In these areas, 69 percent of
residents are minorities. A significant number of the
former industrial parcels northeast of downtown are or
have been brownfields that pose risks to nearby low-
income residential areas. After brownfields are as-
sessed and cleaned up, they will become part of a
government and business office center that will
include a new City Hall, police and fire department
headquarters, facilities for the county and school
  Assessment Grants
  $200,000 for hazardous substances
  $200,000 for petroleum

  EPA has selected the City of Visalia for two
  brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
  substances grant funds will be used to perform
  Phase I and Phase II environmental site assess-
  ments throughout the community, and conduct
  community outreach with the Citizens Advisory
  Committee and the Downtown Visalians. Petro-
  leum grant funds will be used to perform the
  same tasks at sites with potential petroleum
  contamination.
  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 Visalia, CA
  559-713-4312

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
district, an amphitheater, open space, and new residen-
tial, office, and retail development. Brownfields rede-
velopment will eliminate health risks, address environ-
mental justice concerns, provide new jobs, generate new
property taxes, eliminate blight, and retain downtown
Visalia as a vibrant community.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                          EPA560-F-06-187
                          May 2006
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------