Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Gardena, 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANTS

$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Gardena for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to identify potential sites to be addressed, support community involvement activities, and conduct Phase I and II environmental site assessments at sites in areas of the city in the greatest need. Petroleum funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Gardena was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Gardena (population 57,818) is one of the most diverse cities in the Los Angeles Basin. The target community for this project exemplifies this diversity. Nearly 33 percent of residents are Latino, 28.7 percent are African-American, and 23.6 percent are Asian. The poverty and unemployment rates in the area are 15.5 and 7.8 percent, respectively. The area is a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial sites. Survey work indicated that less than ten percent of structures in the area are in good condition, nearly 36 percent of the buildings are deteriorated or dilapidated, and more than 42 percent have conditions which hinder economically viable use of the property. Assessment and eventual cleanup of brownfields will help reduce the threat of potential groundwater contamination, which is especially important because this community relies on groundwater for its drinking water. Once the sites are cleaned up, the city expects to work with its partners to redevelop a number of parcels for retail space and make improvements to the area's streetscape.

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/index.html

Grant Recipient: City of Gardena, CA
310-217-9533

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