Area Wide Site Assessments

vacant sites 400 The City’s Brownfields Program (Program) has been awarded several US EPA grants to conduct site inventories to identify brownfields sites in specific neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are considered a priority for redevelopment due to having a higher percentage of vacant, abandoned, and/or nuisance parcels, combined with having fewer economic resources to redevelop these problem sites.

 

Vacant Site Inventory

Wilmington and Pacoima map This project identifies vacant or derelict small sites in Los Angeles. The Program has created an abandoned / underutilized / vacant sites inventory. The Inventory is an on-going effort and is updated every year. This internal management and marketing inventory is accessible to City departments and can be shared with developers upon request.

 

Wilmington & Pacoima Brownfields Assessments

The City of Los Angeles was awarded a $400,000 grant to conduct site assessments in specific neighborhoods of Wilmington and Pacoima. In Pacoima the Program has identified sites that can be redeveloped to provide new jobs or be incorporated in a greenway project that is underway along the Pacoima Wash a tributary to the Los Angeles River. In Wilmington, the project aims to reduce the impacts of pollution on the neighborhood by identifying properties that can be redeveloped with businesses that will provide new jobs and an improve community environmental conditions. In both neighborhoods, 27 Phase I ESAs were performed under this grant. A GIS database has been developed to illustrate the findings.

 

710 Corridor Initiative

710 map This project is a multi-agency partnership aimed at improving the environment and economic conditions of low-income and minority communities along the I-710 transit corridor. The project is offering assistance to owners or operators of leaking underground tanks who have failed to comply with requirements that the tanks be removed and contamination remediated. The project is funded by the California Water Resources Control Board in partnership with the US EPA and local agencies. Within the Los Angeles portion of the Corridor, the Program is contacting owners of properties to make them aware of the funding programs that are available to assist in covering the costs of removing underground tanks as well as assessing and remediating contamination from petroleum products that were in the tanks.
The Partnership created an inventory of abandoned gas station sites within the I-710 Corridor that were vacant or had limited uses. Many sites required further environmental assessment including tank removal or cleanup activities that could be conducted. Several sites were selected in the Program recommendations. EPA’s Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program and other federal funds were used to complete site assessments including tank removals. In addition to paving the road toward clean-up and redevelopment, I-710 Project’s effort helped identify potential threats to human health in the communities.

 

LA River Assessments (ARBOR)

LA River Assessment The US EPA has awarded the Program a $400.000 grant to address contaminated sites within the boundaries of the City of Los Angeles. These funds will be used to conduct environmental investigation and cleanup planning at eligible sites.
Several Phase I ESAs have been conducted for the sites that present sustainable reuse opportunities as a part of due diligent efforts. The investigations have identified presence of hazardous materials due to historical industrial use. The potential environmental impacts will be evaluated with respect to the future sites’ use.

Brownfields inventory has been created in support of Ecosystem Restoration for one portion of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan. The purpose of the Inventory is to identify areas of potential significant environmental contamination that may require further investigation.

 

LA River Assessments (CASP)

LA River Map CASP Funds provided by US EPA allowed the Program to complete an inventory of community-wide screening assessments for 80+ sites along the Los Angeles River, and to perform Environmental Site Assessments on selected sites as a part of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. The project has identified potential sites with redevelopment potential in the vicinity of the Los Angeles River/Cornfields Park area. The project was created in support of the Cornfields/Arroyo Seco Specific Plan conducted by the Planning Department.