Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet

Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency, CA

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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.

REVOLVING LOAN FUND GRANT

$300,000 for hazardous substances
$700,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the city will provide loans and subgrants to conduct cleanup activities. The city also will use the grant to conduct cleanup planning. The city will focus this grant on properties located in the city's three redevelopment project areas-Southeast Bakersfield, Old Town Kern-Pioneer, and Downtown.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency was selected to receive a revolving loan fund grant. The agency will use grant funds to clean up brownfields within the City of Bakersfield (population 257,900). The city's Southeast Bakersfield, Old Town Kern-Pioneer, and Downtown redevelopment project areas will be targeted for grant funds. Hazardous substances, underground petroleum tanks, and asbestos releases are prevalent among the old motels, automotive-related, and industrial properties in Bakersfield's older commercial core. With new growth spreading to undeveloped areas outside the city, the economic vitality of these older areas has rapidly declined. Approximately 24,000 people live in the targeted areas, many of whom are economically disadvantaged. The unemployment rate in the Old Town Kern-Pioneer and Southeast Bakersfield redevelopment project areas is estimated to be over 20 percent and poverty rates are as high as 40 percent. Most of the residents in these areas are minorities. The revolving loan fund will promote the reuse of brownfields in these blighted areas, reduce economic and physical blight, and improve the economic well-being of the community and its residents.

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 at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

EPA Region 9 Brownfields Team
415-972-3188
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/

Grant Recipient: Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency, CA
661-326-3765

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency has not received funding for brownfields grants.

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.