SAN FRANCISCO - The E.P.A. announced today that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will gain $400,000 in federal grant funds for work in Los Angeles County, and the City of Brea will gain $600,000 in community-wide cleanup grants. These grants are part of the $54.3 million awarded nationally to 147 recipients to assess and clean up historically contaminated properties, also known as brownfields, for reuse and development.
"EPA is committed to helping communities strengthen their local economy and neighborhoods by cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties - places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are needed most," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "These funds will help Southern California meet its goal of creating jobs and increasing economic competitiveness, while improving quality of life and protecting the environment."
The $400,000 grant awarded to DTSC will focus on Southern California's I-710 corridor, a 23-mile freeway that connects the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the rest of the state, and is home to one of the state's biggest concentrations of refineries and rail yards. Approximately one million people -- including 90 percent minority and low-income communities -- are impacted by industrial activities and goods movement through this corridor. DTSC will assess in excess of 30 sites in the communities of Willowbrook, Compton, Pico Rivera, and Carson to determine what is necessary for cleanup and reuse. UC Irvine will assist DTSC in implementing planning and community engagement activities.
The City of Brea will gain $600,000 in cleanup grants, which will be used to transform an abandoned Union Pacific railroad right-of-way into the "Tracks at Brea," a four-mile corridor of open space, walking and bike trails with connections to downtown, schools, senior and community centers, city parks, shopping, and numerous employers. The 50-acre community green space and multi-use trail for pedestrians and bicyclists will offer alternative transportation between neighborhoods while helping address contamination caused by over 100 years of railroad activity.
Since the inception of the EPA's brownfields plan in 1995, cumulative plan investments have leveraged in excess of $22 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per E.P.A. brownfields dollar expended. These investments have resulted in approximately 105,942 jobs nationwide.
More information on EPA's brownfields program:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on brownfields success stories:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
