Brownfields Cleanup Revolving
Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet

Lynwood, CA

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.

PILOT SNAPSHOT
Lynwood, CA	Date of Announcement:April 2001 Amount: $1.0 million
BCRLF Target Area: Four sites within the City of Lynwood

BACKGROUND

The City of Lynwood has a population of 62,000 and is located in the southern part of Los Angeles County. Lynwood is one of the most economically depressed areas of Southern California, with poverty and unemployment rates at more than twice the national average. The per-capita income in 1990 was half the national average. The city is plagued by a high incidence of crime, drug use, and teen pregnancy. Approximately 40% of the city is located within the County of Los Angeles-designated Enterprise Zone. The City was awarded an EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Program grant in 1999.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

The City of Lynwood is seeking to bring its brownfields back into productive use. The City will assist efforts to identify and assess contaminated sites and encourage site redevelopment. Lynwood's BCRLF program will provide critical funding for the cleanup of participating sites.

The City has identified four sites as potential BCRLF loan recipients: (1) The Marketplace Project will clean up a 13-acre site that is located between two developments, (2) Michael's Furniture Manufacturing plans to expand into an adjacent vacant site that requires cleanup, (3) the Alameda/Imperial/ Fernwood Triangle project requires cleanup of a 13-acre former junkyard before redevelopment as a retail center and daycare facility can begin, and (4) the Long Beach Boulevard Retail Site project requires cleanup before the 60,000 square-foot lot can be developed for neighborhood retailers. These projects have already attracted a total of $47 million in private financing, and potential BCRLF borrowers have been identified.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

The City of Lynwood's Community Development Department will serve as the lead agency. The City is reviewing options for site manager, including the State Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, or a City employee. Selection will be based on the level and type of contamination identified at the primary project sites. Lynwood's Director of Finance will serve as the fund manager, with assistance and cooperation provided by the City's Community Development Department and the City Attorney's office.

LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES

Leveraging private sector funding will be key to the success of the BCRLF program. Anticipated private financing for the four sites totals nearly $47 million. Complementary government funding sources include the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Brownfields Economic Development Initiative and Community Development Block Grants, Section 108 loan funds, and City Redevelopment Agency tax increment financing.

Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding also apply to BCRLF funds.

CONTACTS

Lynwood Community Development Department
(310)-603-0220

Region 9 Brownfields Coordinator
(415) 744-2237

Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html

For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)

EPA 500-F-01-236
April 2001

Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)

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Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet