^ Brownfields 2010 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
Nevada City, 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 Nevada City was selected to receive three
brownfields cleanup grants. Nevada City (population
3,001) is a well-preserved town in the historic Gold
Rush region of California"s Sierra Nevada Mountain
range. The area is a magnet for visitors drawn to the
town for its lively art scene, street festivals, concerts,
trails, and rivers. The sites targeted for cleanup are near
the Deer Creek, a major tributary of the Yuba River,
which drains via the Feather River and ultimately
reaches the San Francisco Bay. For 100 years, the creek
was used as a water and power source for mining and
gold processing, and its banks were used as a dump for
mine waste. The current unemployment rate in Nevada
County is higher than the national rate. The city has had
to lay off and furlough employees in an effort to
address its budget crisis. Once the target sites are
cleaned up, the city plans to incorporate them into the
nine-mile Deer Creek Tribute Trail system, which is
currently under construction. The trail is expected to
enhance the recreational appeal of the city.
Cleanup Grants
$600,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Nevada City for three
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the Providence
Mine: the Mining Features Area site and the Waste
Rock Pile site on Providence Mine Road in the Deer
Creek Watershed. The mine operated for at least 68
years along Deer Creek"s south bank. Contamination
at the sites consists of waste materials that were
extracted during hard rock mining operations, and is
composed of mine tailings and waste rock rich in
naturally occurring heavy metals. The 350-foot-long
unstable and eroding waste rock pile is releasing
mine waste, including heavy metals, into the creek.
Grant funds also will be used to clean up the 2.2-acre
Stiles Mill on Clark Street in downtown Nevada
City. The mill was a mixed-use industrial complex in
the 1860s. One of the businesses on the site was
involved in extracting gold. These operations left
surrounding areas contaminated with heavy metals.
Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning
and 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
(213)244-1821
EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields)
Grant Recipient: City of Nevada City
530-265-2496
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)
EPA560-F-10-162
Apr 10
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E-ironmental andEmXency EPA 56°-
Protection Agency Resoonse (51 Q5Ti Apr 1 °
Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I)
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