A \ Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant
.SB/ Fact Sheet
Vista Community Development Commission, 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. 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 this law, 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 Vista Community Development Commission was
selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants.
Located in the north San Diego County region, the City of
Vista (population 95,126) is focusing its brownfields
efforts in the Vista Redevelopment Project Area,
including the Santa Fe/Mercantile Corridor and Townsite
neighborhood. The city has a history of industrial and
commercial development near residential areas, resulting
in incompatible land uses and possible contamination. In
the target areas, much of the building stock was developed
in the 1930s and 1940s. Almost 70 percent of residents in
the Townsite neighborhood are Hispanic or Latino, and
the poverty rate is higher than the city's rate. Throughout
Vista, per capita and median incomes are below county
and state levels, and the city's unemployment rate is
higher than San Diego County's. Assessment of
brownfields is expected to help the city evaluate the extent
of contamination, increase community awareness about
brownfields, and further define the city's redevelopment
strategy.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
(Recovery Act Funding)
$200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act
Funding)
EPA has selected the Vista Community
Development Commission for two brownfields
assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to inventory
brownfields and perform 15 to 20 Phase I and 5 to
6 Phase II environmental site assessments in the
Santa Fe/Mercantile Corridor and Townsite
neighborhood. Grant funds also will be used to
prepare cleanup plans, conduct health monitoring,
and support community outreach activities,
including publishing materials in both English and
Spanish. 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/bro wnfields)
Grant Recipient: Community Development
Commission of the City of Vista, CA
(760) 639-6191
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-09-243
May 2009
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Environmental bona waste 560-F-09-243
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Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I)
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