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  Brownfields  2008

  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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community  Description

Humboldt County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in rural
northwestern California, Humboldt County  (popula-
tion 128,330) has experienced serious declines in its
two largest industries, timber and fishing. At one time,
there were more than 400 lumber mills and boatyards
operating in the county. Between the 1950s  and 1997,
the lumber industry went from employing about one
half of Humboldt's labor force to employing eight
percent. Today, there are only a half-dozen operating
mills and few boatyards in the county. As area living
wages declined, home ownership  became less afford-
able to residents. The unemployment and poverty rates
in the county are significantly higher than the state
rates. The hundreds of acres of contaminated proper-
ties that ring Humboldt Bay threaten the state's second
                                                             I
 Assessment  Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected Humboldt County for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to develop an
 inventory and map of brownfields, conduct an
 estimated six to 10 Phase I and one to three Phase
 II environmental site assessments, and support
 community involvement activities. Petroleum
 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
 415-972-3091
 http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields

 Grant Recipient: Humboldt County, CA
 707-268-3735

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
largest estuarine ecosystem. Assessment of
brownfields will help the county clarify its environ-
mental concerns and is expected to encourage redevel-
opment.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-08-189
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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