Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
	Date of Announcement: March 2000 Amount: $150,000 Greenspace: $50,000
Target Area: City of Long Beach, CA Profile: The City of Long Beach targets properties in the center of the city, immediately adjacent to the City of Signal Hill, for the development of a sports park.

BACKGROUND

EPA awarded the City of Long Beach supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments at brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. Long Beach targets an undeveloped area in the center of the city, immediately adjacent to the City of Signal Hill, for the development of a central sports facility for adult-league play. Residents in this area are 79 percent minority, 21 percent live in poverty, and 7 percent are unemployed. This area has a history of industrial, commercial, and solid and liquid waste disposal uses since the 1920s. The area is characterized by aging oil-gas production and refining industries, dilapidated structures with outdated equipment, abandoned commercial and light industrial properties, vehicle repair shops, sandblasting facilities, a trash recycling business, and debris from the 1933 earthquake and 1950s refinery fire. Soil at the site contains volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, methane, and other explosive and flammable gases.

The area has been the subject of more than 10 years of unsuccessful redevelopment attempts due to complications posed by the site's topography, operating oil facilities, hazardous materials, and other potential contamination. Additionally, earlier proposals have not been popular with the community and have been rejected. The communities surrounding the proposed sports park have been underserved in terms of greenspace and recreational opportunities, and therefore, this proposal has received widespread public support. The sports park would ease a long shortage of sports fields for youth sports. It would include softball and soccer fields, volleyball courts, a multipurpose court area for basketball and other sports, as well as a children's playground. A neighborhood park that is also part of the plan would include a community center.

OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Long Beach's objective is to provide a model for successful brownfields cleanup and redevelopment that can be used throughout the city. The city will employ a cooperative approach to addressing contamination issues and redevelopment planning in the targeted area, including involving the community throughout the planning process. Long Beach will use the supplemental assistance Pilot to facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment of the target area by conducting site assessments, including soil sampling and groundwater monitoring.

The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to work towards the development of a neighborhood park adjacent to the sports park, the restoration and possible expansion of a wetlands area within the sports park, and the development of an abandoned property located northeast of the sports park into a community park. To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to:

• Monitor groundwater for one year and evaluate the results to determine if the groundwater poses any risks;

• Conduct a soil gas survey to determine the extent of soil vapors and to design an appropriate vapor collection system;

• Collect soil, soil vapor, and air samples and analyze them for chemicals of concern to ensure the playing surface is safe for park patrons and does not pose any further risk to the environment;

• Conduct site research to delineate the wetlands and jurisdictional waters;

• Develop a conceptual revegetation or enhancement program;

• Generate a detailed plan for the riparian habitat; and

• Assess the 55^th Way site as part of overall plan to increase greenspace in the city.

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

CONTACTS

Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine
City of Long Beach
(562) 570-3170

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 9
(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/