Brownfields 201 1 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet ™ Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in southern California, Los Angeles (population 3.8 million) has many urban areas affected by brownfields. The city is targeting the Wilmington and Pacoima neighborhoods, which are residential areas near industrial sites and oil fields. Located near the Port of Los Angeles, Wilmington is highly industrialized. It has a history of oil production dating back to the 1920s and contains many active and inactive oil wells. On the northern edge of the city, Pacoima contains landfills and large vacant parcels that have turned into illegal dumps. In these areas, open land is lacking due to crowded housing conditions. Residents in both neighborhoods are predominantly minorities and have lower per capita income and higher poverty rates than the nation. Assessment of brownfields will help the city identify human health risks and is expected to facilitate redevelopment plans. Redevelopment plans include the creation of affordable housing in Wilmington, and a riverfront walkway, bicycle route, and parks in Pacoima. Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Los Angeles for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to perform six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning, prioritize brownfields, and support 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 415-972-3364 EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region9/bro wnfields) Grant Recipient: City of Los Angeles,CA (213) 978-0872 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-128-119 May 2011 ------- |