/ D \ Brownfields 1998 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet \ J West Hollywood, CA EPA Brownfields Initiative 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 January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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. Background EPA has selected the City of West Hollywood for a Brownfields Pilot. Through redevelopment designation and other initiatives, the City (population 36,859) has focused revitalization efforts on the 338-acre East Side area (population 10,548). Since the 1970s the City's East Side has become a home to Russian immigrants. During the 1980s, still more Russian immigrants moved into the area-mostly elderly persons with low to very low incomes and limited English language capabilities. More than 31% of the East Side households earn incomes below the poverty level and approximately 53% of the area's population is minority. The East Side is home to several industrial sites that date back to the turn of the century. Some are still in operation, some have been converted to commercial uses, and others are abandoned. The City has begun to identify East Side area brownfields sites. One priority site is the 7-acre Gateway area that contains six contiguous properties. Industrial uses in this area have included automotive repair, metal plating, utilities, and manufacturing that may have resulted in contamination at certain sites. This suspected contamination has hindered the East Side's economic development and continues to pose possible public health risks. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 07/15/1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets the 7-acre Gateway area located on the City's East Side. 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 West Hollywood,CA (213) 848-6448 Objectives With the help of the Pilot and other City initiatives, West Hollywood plans to encourage cleanup and redevelopment within the East Side area. The City has already undertaken several steps to improve the quality of life for the East Side's predominantly low- and moderate-income residents, including the designation of the East Side as a City Redevelopment Area, and preparation of a redevelopment plan. The Pilot will aid in the City's overall objective of stimulating economic development and protecting human health and the environment by conducting environmental assessments and community outreach in the East Side's Gateway area. The Pilot will also assist with a comprehensive inventory of all City brownfields. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Creating a comprehensive brownfields inventory for the City, and identifying brownfields sites United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-98-232 nil- a ancl Emergency . . Protection Agency Response (5105*0 Jul 98 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- with the greatest potential for redevelopment; • Conducting environmental assessments on selected sites, and developing cleanup and redevelopment plans for those sites; • Conducting community outreach activities; and • Identifying alternative sources of funding and developing mechanisms to streamline the regulatory process to facilitate brownfields revitalization. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. 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 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-98-232 Jul 98 ------- w5 Brownfields 1998 Supplemental Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet City of West Hollywood, California EPA Brownfields Initiative 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 January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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. Background EPA awarded the City of West Hollywood supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments at brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. West Hollywood's East Side (population 10,500) is home to several industrial sites. The majority of East Side residents are minorities. A growing number of immigrants with very low incomes and limited English language skills are locating in the area. More than 31 percent of East Side households earn incomes below the poverty level. The original Pilot targeted the seven-acre La Brea Gateway area in the East Side and conducted several Phase I and II environmental assessments in collaboration with property owners, local residents, and developers. The city also identified possible cleanup funding mechanisms for some of the contaminated sites. Supplemental funds are needed to assess East Side sites targeted as a result of a 2001 zoning ordinance to improve the environmental quality of life in the East Side. The ordinance affects nine vehicle repair shops. The shops will have to undergo substantial changes by 2004. Shops that do not comply with the ordinance will need environmental assessments in preparation for redevelopment. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 05/01/2002 Amount: $150,000 $50,000 for Greenspace Profile: The Pilot targets nine vehicle repair shops in the city's East Side, which has a high poverty rate and minority population. Greenspace funding will be used to help expand the East Side's only park area. 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 West Hollywood,CA (323) 848-6418 Objectives The city's planned use of the supplemental assistance is similar to the city's plans for the original Pilot, which were to bring together community groups, developers, and financial institutions to assess contamination on properties with potential environmental problems; explore cleanup options; and promote redevelopment. The city already is exploring possible public-private development ventures with the property owners of the vehicle repair shops targeted for the supplemental funds. The city is prepared to acquire some of the target properties, if necessary. Greenspace funding will be used to assess Plummer Park in order to expand the area's only park and add greenspace to the East Side. Park and recreational areas in the targeted East Side is inadequate for the population density compared to county and state standards. Greenspace funding will be used to perform Phase I and United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-02-113 nil- a ancl Emergency .. __ Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV02 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- if necessary Phase II environmental assessments. The city intends to involve the community and other stakeholders in the greenspace planning. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting Phase I environmental assessments on the targeted vehicle repair sites; • Developing Phase II environmental assessment plans as necessary; • Preparing preliminary cleanup strategies for selected properties as needed; and • Involving residents, property owners, and the business community in outreach and reuse planning. 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 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-02-113 May 02 ------- |