Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Petaluma Community Development Commission,  CA
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help
states and communities around the country cleanup and
revitalize brownfields sites. 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

The City of Petaluma Community Development
Commission was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Located 45 miles north of San
Francisco, Petaluma (population 54,548) is a historic
river town that was founded in 1852. Since the 1850s,
Petaluma has supported a broad mix of land uses,
including agriculture, industry, and shipping. Dairy
ranches and hayfields surround the city. However, its
heavy industrial legacy has deterred redevelopment of
properties with perceived or actual contamination. The
Commission is focusing its assessment efforts on the
"river corridor" of the Petaluma River, where there are
419 potential brownfields. Just under 200 acres of these
properties are empty. In the target area, 55.4 percent of
residents are minorities, and all city residents face high
housing and land costs despite the recent economic
downturn. Assessment of brownfields is expected to
engage the public in the assessment process, and
leverage redevelopment funds.
                  Assessment Grants

                  $200,000 for hazardous substances
                  $200,000 for petroleum

                  EPA has selected the City of Petaluma Community
                  Development Commission for two brownfields
                  assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
                  substances grant funds will be used to conduct six
                  Phase I and up to six Phase II environmental site
                  assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support
                  community outreach activities. Petroleum grant
                  funds will be used to conduct 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
                  (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                  EPA Region 9 Brownfields Team
                  (415) 972-3091
                  EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site
                  (http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields)

                  Grant Recipient: City of Petaluma Community
                  Development Commission,CA
                  (707) 776-3674

                  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 negotiated.
                  Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                  subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-09-036
        May 09

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