United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-97-037
May 1997
National Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
Stockton, CA
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities,
and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified
approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
EPA selected the City of Stockton for a Brownfields
Pilot. Many old shipyards, heavy manufacturing,
mills, and industrial sites along Stockton's
waterfront have been abandoned, contributing to
unemployment and poverty in the Pilot area. The
threat of contamination and liability has inhibited
reuse and redevelopment at these sites while
suburban sprawl expands. Over the last 25 years,
the City' s redevelopment agency has been acquiring
many ofthe abandoned properties in the waterfront
area, nearly all of which are potentially
contaminated. At least 13 acres are known to be
contaminated. The City is particularly concerned
with the properties in the State Enterprise Zone,
where contamination could present an additional
obstacle to economic revitalization.
OBJECTIVES
The focus of Stockton's brownfields effort is to
encourage economic revitalization ofthe urban
waterfront area. Redevelopment ofthe waterfront
will promote productive land use, reduce air and
water pollution associated with urban sprawl, and
expand job opportunities in locations accessible to
low-income populations. To satisfy these objec-
tives, a comprehensive masterplan for brownfields
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Stockton, California
Date of Award:
March 1996
Amount: $200,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets a 50-acre
collection of sites ringing
Stockton's waterfront
area. The pilot project
area contains several
brownfields and is
adjacent to one Superfund
site within the State
Enterprise Zone.
Contacts:
Garrett Toy
Department of Housing and
Redevelopment
Stockton, California
(209) 937-8075
Thomas Mix
U.S. EPA Region 9
(415)744-2378
mix.tom@epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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site assessment and remediation, and incentives for
redevelopment will be developed.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Initiated a process to conduct the planned Phase I
and Phase II site assessments on the Weber Block
site in the brownfields project area.
The Pilot is:
• Developing a comprehensive brownfields environ-
mental plan as part of the City's overall waterfront
redevelopment plan;
• Developing a coordinated partnership for
brownfields revitalization that includes the Water-
front Revival Task Force, residents, community
agencies, private sector, and public entities; and
• Planning full site assessment on 4-5 sites owned by
the Stockton Redevelopment Agency, and prelimi-
nary site assessment on up to 20-acres of other
properties within the project area.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Stockton Pilot has been a catalyst
for related activities including the following.
• Developing and testing new funding mechanisms to
assist in brownfields assessment, remediation, and
reuse.
• Analyzing participation in the California
Environmental Protection Agency's Expedited
Remedial Action Program to develop and implement
the City's remediation strategy.
• Expanding on the City's association with existing
revitalization efforts, including the California
Department of Boating and Waterways programs
and other Federal and State programs.
• Combining the pilot activities with planning and
funding resources provided by the State Enterprise
Zone program.
National Brownfields Assessment Pilot Stockton, California
May 1997 EPA 500-F-97-037
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