The Department of Toxic Substances Control Revolving Loan Fund provides subgrants or loans for the redevelopment of brownfields to municipalities, nonprofits or developers who are bona fide purchasers, innocent land owners, or contiguous property owners. Contact Thomas Cota at 714-484-5459 or tcota@dtsc.ca.gov.

The Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund (USTCF) provides owners or operators of onsite leaking underground storage tanks with assessment and cleanup funds. Contact Diana Romero at 916-341-5766 or dromero@waterboards.ca.gov.

The Orphan Site Cleanup Fund (OSCF) provides eligible owners or operators of UST sites that are not covered by the USTCF with assessment and cleanup funds. Contact Judy Reid at 916-341-5760 or jreid@waterboards.ca.gov.

Under the Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, EPA Region 9 contractors conduct environmental site assessments for public agencies at brownfields where there are reuse plans. Contact Carolyn Douglas at 415-972-3092 or douglas.carolyn@epa.gov.

Under the EPA's Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities program, CCLR provides in-kind technical assistance and training to communities and other stakeholders on brownfields issues with the goal of increasing the community's understanding and involvement in brownfield cleanup and revitalization. The TAB grants serve as an independent source of information assisting communities with community involvement, better understanding the health impacts of brownfield sites, science and technology relating to brownfield site assessment, remediation, and site preparation activities, brownfield finance questions, and information on integrated approaches to brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Contact Ignacio Dayrit at 415-398-1080 x107 or ignacio.dayrit@cclr.org.

The Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP), Planning Grant and Incentive Program has released the round two Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) funded through the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). DOC has allocated approximately $18 million of Proposition 84 funds for round two. The funds awarded will support development, adoption, and implementation of Sustainable Community planning elements throughout the State, including, but not limited to, Climate Action Plans and General Plan amendments. The grants awarded from this solicitation will cover up to a three-year project period. Grant requests for amounts from $100,000 to $1,000,000 will be considered. 

All applicants submitting proposals for funding through this grant must submit a complete electronic application using the FAAST system, by 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, FEBRUARY 15, 2012. Late applications will not be accepted.

Originally signed into law in 1997 and extended through December 31, 2011, the Brownfields Tax Incentive encourages the cleanup and reuse of brownfields. Under the Brownfields Tax Incentive, environmental cleanup costs are fully deductible in the year incurred, rather than capitalized and spread over time. Improvements in 2006 expanded the tax incentive to include petroleum cleanup.

The California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004 (AB 389) provides qualified innocent landowners, bona fide purchasers or contiguous property owners with immunity from liability for certain hazardous materials response costs or other damages.

The Site Designation Process (AB 2061) allows a Responsible Party who agrees to carry out a site investigation and remedial action to request the Site Designation Committee within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) to designate a single state or local agency to oversee the cleanup action.

The California Land Environmental Restoration and Reuse Act (CLERRA, SB 32) enables cities and counties to direct or conduct the investigation and remediation at brownfield sites that are outside of redevelopment areas.

The Polanco Redevelopment Law provides redevelopment agencies with tools to respond to brownfield properties. Polanco prescribes processes for redevelopment agencies to follow when cleaning up a hazardous substance release in a redevelopment project area. It also provides immunity from liability for redevelopment agencies and subsequent property purchasers for sites cleaned up under an approved cleanup plan.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control and local Regional Water Quality Control Boards have various programs to expedite the remedial process and to limit liability for prospective purchasers.

Green Solutions for Abandoned Mines

May 3-5, 2012

Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada City, CA

The Community Summit on Mining Impacts is the only public conference on how to address the ongoing human health, environmental, and cultural impacts of over a century of mining in the Sierra Nevada. The Summit will focus on the positive actions that residents, businesses, government agencies, and tribes can take to protect human and environmental health, and how new technologies have the potential to clean up our communities and the environment in a cost-effective way. 

The Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP), Planning Grant and Incentive Program has released the round two Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) funded through the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). DOC has allocated approximately $18 million of Proposition 84 funds for round two. The funds awarded will support development, adoption, and implementation of Sustainable Community planning elements throughout the State, including, but not limited to, Climate Action Plans and General Plan amendments. The grants awarded from this solicitation will cover up to a three-year project period. Grant requests for amounts from $100,000 to $1,000,000 will be considered. 

All applicants submitting proposals for funding through this grant must submit a complete electronic application using the FAAST system, by 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, FEBRUARY 15, 2012. Late applications will not be accepted.