Brownfields 2009 Assessment and Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Merced Redevelopment Agency, CA RECOUERY.GOV 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. On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under both laws in Fiscal Year 2009, EPA will provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Community Description The Merced Redevelopment Agency was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant and a brownfields cleanup grant. Merced (population 63,893), located in central California, is a gateway community to Yosemite National Park. The city has lost thousands of jobs during the past 10 years following the closing of Castle Air Force Base and several large employers. More recently, the city has been hard-hit by foreclosure issues, and has the highest foreclosure rate in California. Merced is the sixth most ethnically diverse community in the country, including residents of Hispanic and Flmong descent. The city's unemployment rate is almost 11 percent, and nearly 22 percent of residents live in poverty. The assessment grant will focus on the Merced Center Brownfield, which is a key portion of a larger revitalization plan to make Merced Center the focus of economic activity in the downtown area. Assessment of the target site is expected to expedite redevelopment of the Merced Center, which will include mixed-use development and affordable Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the Merced Redevelopment Agency for a brownfields assessment grant. Site-specific petroleum grant funds will be used to perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments at the Merced Center Brownfield at 1880 N street. Grant funds also will be used to perform groundwater monitoring and support community outreach activities. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Merced Redevelopment Agency for a brownfields cleanup grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up the R Street Brownfield at the corner of R and 15th Streets. The site is a parking lot that is contaminated with gasoline and diesel range petroleum hydrocarbons. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities. 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: Redevelopment Agency of the City ofMerced,CA (209)388-7507 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-09-107 May 09 ------- housing. The target cleanup site, which is adjacent to agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. one of downtown's most successful businesses, contains Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are a contamination plume that threatens a municipal subject to change. domestic water well. When the target site is cleaned up, the Agency plans to redevelop it for retail use, which is expected to create new jobs and increase tax revenues. United States and EPA Protection Agency ResDonse(51oVn May 09 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I ) ------- |