2023 California Land Recycling Conference: People, Partnerships, Progress
CALRC 2023 is back in Carson, CA!

2023 California Land Recycling Conference: People, Partnerships, Progress

September 26, 2023 - September 28, 2023

People, Partnerships, Progress Agenda

Recordings & Presentations Photo Gallery

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 and the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) Office of Brownfields in collaboration with the Center for Creative Land Recycling hosted the California Land Recycling Conference (CALRC) from September 26-28. Read the CALRC 2023 recap blog post “The People Behind Progress in Land Recycling” here.

CALRC is the premier event for community, municipal, and redevelopment professionals focused on the beneficial reuse of underutilized and contaminated properties. With unprecedented resources to address brownfield cleanup and reuse challenges, CALRC provided the tools, training, and connections you need to create and capitalize on opportunities for revitalization.

This year’s themes of People, Partnerships, Progress were incorporated throughout the conference’s topics to emphasize the benefits of new connections, greater capacity, accessible funding, and navigating your path from remediation to revitalization. We hope to engage People in brownfield reuse, develop long lasting Partnerships, and support Progress within communities!

Nearly all CALRC sessions have been submitted for AICP Certification Maintenance credit. If approved, AICP certified planners can earn upwards of 10 CM credits by attending CALRC. Session accreditation

is supported by Smart Growth America.

What Makes CALRC 2023 Special?

This year, the California Land Recycling Conference focused on People, Partnerships and Progress. In line with these themes, participants were invited to four bonus events to dig even deeper into land reuse. Below you will find descriptions of each event.

CALRC Land Reuse and Community Development Funding Fair

September 26, 2023 | 2:45pm – 5:00pm

Against the backdrop of historic investment in equitable development, climate change resilience, and sustainable land recycling, state and federal entities will convene to showcase an expanding catalog of funding opportunities and resources for beneficial reuse.

Join representatives from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Housing and Community Development, Strategic Growth Council, SDSU Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC), and more.

Photo Gallery – Disappearing Portals: A View to Historic Brownfields

Brownfield sites hold the potential to contribute to their surrounding environment, either for new development or as portals to the past.

This photo gallery will offer a sampling of photographs from the collections Historic American Buildings Survey to bring awareness to the legacy of historic buildings and structures that existed on the American landscape.

The intention of this gallery is to spark an appreciation for the beauty in brownfields, so that we can make thoughtful and considerate choices for their stewardship and reuse going forward.

CALRC Classic! Brownfield Karaoke Sing-Along

Wednesday, September 27 | 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Join us for an evening of music and great conversation. Whether you want to sing your heart out solo or sing along with the group, Brownfield Karaoke is for all. Our catalog of land reuse inspired songs pulls from every era and every genre; we guarantee you’ll find a song to suit your mood. This social event is capped at 50 attendees so don’t delay! Drinks and light fare will be provided and dinner is available to purchase.

Post-Conference Event – The Bold Rush: Just Transition Reuse of Former Oil Fields

Thursday, September 28 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm

California wants to transition former oil fields into living-wage jobs, open space, commercial, and even housing opportunities. While a few pieces are falling into place, there are huge funding and responsibility uncertainties. Join the discussion to explore the many questions and proposed solutions our community has to offer.

Schedule of Events

26 September
27 September
28 September
AM
08:00

CALRC Pre-Conference: Registration & Networking

11:30

Registration, Networking, and Lunch

PM
12:30

Welcome Plenary - Mayor of Carson Lula Davis-Holmes, EPA R9 Deputy Regional Administrator Cheree Peterson, and CA DTSC Director Meredith Williams

01:45

Show Me the Money: Tapping into Unprecedented Levels of Funding for Land Reuse and Equitable Development

Planning for Perpetuity: Effective Long Term Management of Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Systems

02:45

Mini-Funding Fair - Learn more about additional financing opportunities that support land reuse, climate change resilience, and community revitalization initiatives

03:15

Home within Range: Successful Affordable Housing for Brownfield Sites

Should it Stay or Should it Go? In-situ vs. Ex-situ Solutions for Brownfields - Follow-up to the CALRC 2022 Session ‘Going Green: Connecting Sustainability with Remediation Success’ that takes the next step in helping site owners and stakeholders implement more sustainable approaches to remediate brownfields.

04:15

Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities: Navigating Brownfield Redevelopment from a Developer's Lens

Making a List, Checking it Twice: How to Create an Inventory of Brownfield Sites

05:00

Happy Hour & Disappearing Portals Photo Gallery

AM
08:15

Breakfast and Networking

09:15

The Bridge Builders: How to Access and Build Capacity for Funding Opportunities that Support Community Visions

Getting to the Finish Line: Navigating Voluntary Agreements Through the DTSC

Reuse Reports Round Up: Practical Financial and Planning Reports for Brownfields Redevelopment Decision Making

10:30

Equitable Community Engagement, Building a Plan that Amplifies Voices

Getting to the Finish Line: Navigating Projects Through the Water Board Process

Navigating Rural Reuse: Challenges, Strategies and Community Empowerment

11:45

Mid-day Plenary - Women Visionaries

PM
12:45

Lunch and Networking

01:45

Harnessing Opportunities: Brownfields as Catalysts for Climate Resilient Communities

Persistent PFAS: Stickiness in a Non-Stick Environment

Brownfield Cleanups, Reuse and Equitable Development: Holistic Approaches for Community Restoration

03:00

Afternoon Plenary - Challenging Community Displacement: Placemaking, Placekeeping, and Belonging

04:15

Topic Talks
- Zero to Hero: Use of CLRRA to Facilitate Complex Brownfield Projects
- Community Engagement for Success
- Telling your Brownfields Story with ACRES

04:35

Topic Talks
- Effective Tribal Outreach and Engagement
- Towards Developing a Statewide Brownfield Inventory
- New Life for Old Buildings

04:55

Topic Talks
- DTSC’s Approach on Vapor Intrusion by SMRP Southern California Division Chief Peter Garcia
- Digitizing the Brownfield

05:30

Brownfield Karaoke Sing-Along at the Doubletree, Salon 3

AM
08:30

Breakfast and Networking

09:30

Morning Plenary - The Aha! Moment: From Data to People Oriented Resilience Planning featuring Alfred Fraijo Jr., Founder and CEO of SOMOS Group & Luis Gutierrez, Director of Energy and Water for the Office of LA Mayor Karen Bass

10:45

Renewable Energy as a Catalyst for Renewing Communities

Smooth Move: Transitioning from Investigation to Cleanup

PM
12:00

Closing Keynote - Yana Garcia, CalEPA Secretary

Speakers

Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes

Mayor | City of Carson

 

 

 

 

Dr. Meredith Williams (She/Her)

Director | California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

 

 

 

Cheree Peterson (She/Her)

Deputy Regional Administrator | EPA Region 9

 

 

 

Yana Garcia (She/Her)

Secretary for Environmental Protection | CA Environmental Protection Agency

 

 

 

Alfred Fraijo Jr. (He/Him)

Founder and CEO | SOMOS Group

 

 

 

Luis Gutierrez

Director of Energy & Water | Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

 

 

 

Rachel Moscovich (She/Her)

Senior Managing Consultant | Ramboll

 

 

 

Jean Hamerman

Executive Director | Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai, MD, PD (She/Her)

Founder, Director & Principal Investigator | Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation

 

Alex Oliver

GIS Professional | Jacobs

 

 

 

 

 

Alex Ricklefs (He/Him)

Program Manager | Community Solar for Clean Power Alliance

 

 

 

 

Alexis White

Environmental Scientist/Project Manager | Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

 

 

 

Dr. Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales (He/Him)

Managing Director | Southern California Research Initiative for Solar Energy (SC-RISE)

 

 

Alison Torbitt (She/Her)

Partner / Co-leader, Food, Beverage & Agribusiness / Co-leader, Environmental | Nixon Peabody

 

 

Amy M. Dzialowski (She/Her)

Senior Principal | Geosyntec Consultants, Inc

 

 

 

Ana Española (She/Her)

Sustainability Coordinator | County of Kaua ‘ i’s Office of Economic Development

 

 

 

Arthur Bart (He/Him)

Executive Director | Bay Area affiliate of GRID Alternatives

 

 

 

 

Astrida Trupovnieks (She/Her)

Economic Development Manager | City of Lodi

 

 

 

Bahram Fazeli (He/Him)

Director of Research & Policy | Communities for a Better Environment

 

 

 

Barbara Romero (She/Her)

Director and General Manager | LA Sanitation and Environment

 

 

 

Ben Stewart, P.G., PMP (He/Him)

National Leader for Asset Transformation and Brownfield Redevelopment | Stantec

 

 

Bob Wenzlau (He/Him)

President and Founder | Terradex

 

 

 

 

Brock Saylor (He/Him)

Senior Consultant & Senior Project Manager | Langan Engineering and Environmental Services

 

 

Brooklyn James (She/Her)

Project Officer | Toxics and Brownfields Section U.S. EPA Region 9

 

 

Cathy Garrett (She/Her)

President | PGAdesign Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl Prowell (She/Her)

Head of the Underground Storage Tank (UST) and Site Cleanup Section | State Water Quality Control Board

 

 

Claire Weston

Senior Program Manager | Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

 

 

Colby Matthews (He/Him)

Vice President | Chaberton Energy

 

 

 

Craig Shields (He/Him)

Climate Investments Branch Chief | CA Department of Housing and Community Development

 

 

 

Danielle Stevenson (She/Her)

Environmental Scientist & Educator | University of California, Riverside

 

 

Dena Fuentes (She/Her)

Director | RSG

 

 

 

 

 

Desireé Reneé Martinez, MA, RPA (She/Her)

President | Cogstone Resource Management

 

 

 

Diane Barclay (She/Her)

Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund Manager and Assistant Deputy Director | State Water Board Division of Financial Assistance

 

Doris Nguyen (She/Her)

Brownfield Development Specialist | Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

 

 

 

Earl James (He/Him)

Principal Geologist | EKI Environment & Water

 

 

 

 

Eileen Christensen, C.E.M. (She/Her)

Founder and Principal | BEC Environmental

 

 

 

Eli Moore (He/Him)

Director of the Community Power and Policy Partnerships Program | Othering & Belonging Institute, UC Berkeley

 

 

Dr. Emily Cook (She/Her)

Environmental Engineer |EKI Environment & Water, Inc.

 

 

 

 

Erica Blyther (She/Her)

Petroleum Administrator | City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Office of Petroleum and Natural Gas Administration

 

 

Galen O'Toole (He/Him)

Lead Environmental Engineer | Intrinsyx

 

 

 

 

Genea Foster (They/Them)

Director of Climate Resilience & Land Use | Groundwork USA

 

 

 

Gina Plantz (She/Hers)

Principal Consultant & Technical Expert | Haley & Aldrich

 

 

 

 

Holly J. Mitchell (She/Her)

2nd District Supervisor | Los Angeles County

 

 

 

Dr. Ida Sami, PhD, MEPD, MSc (She/Her)

Chief Executive Officer | Climate NXT

 

 

 

Ignacio Dayrit (He/Him)

Lead Program Consultant

Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

 

 

Ingrid Brostorm

Program Director for Climate and Sustainability | UC Merced Community and Labor Center

 

 

 

James Perez

Senior Project Manager | East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

 

 

 

James G. Ritchie, P.G., QSD (He/Him)

Vice President | SCS Engineers

 

 

 

 

Janice Zinky (She/Her)

Supervising Engineering Geologist | Division of Water Quality at the State Water Resources Control Board

 

 

Dr. Jessica Barlow (She/Her)

Professor | SDSU Department of Geography; Executive Director | Center for Regional Sustainability

 

 

Jim Bergdoll, AICP (He/Him)

Brownfield Revitalization Specialist |Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

John Kim (He/Him)

Senior Vice President | CAC Specialty

 

 

 

 

John Warpeha (He/Him)

Environmental Scientist | Washoe Tribe Environmental Protection Department of NV and CA

 

 

Jonathan Kusel (He/Him)

Executive Director | Sierra Institute

 

 

 

Joshua Silver (He/Him)

Program Manager | San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department

 

 

 

Katherine Cabrera (She/Her/Ella)

Program Manager for Capacity Building | The Greenlining Institute

 

 

Katherine Perez (She/Her)

Los Angeles Office Leader & Principal | ARUP

 

 

 

Kristofer Patrón-Soberano (He/Him)

Program Administrator | The Project Center for Regional Sustainability

 

 

Krystle Farmer Sieghart (She/Her)

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Programs & Operations | Healing Justice Santa Barbara

 

Lisa Hanusiak (She/Her)

Brownfields Project Manager | U.S. EPA Region 9 Brownfields

 

 

 

 

Lujain Altawarah (She/Her)

Program Associate | Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

 

Dr. Madison Swayne (She/Her)

Assistant Professor of City Planning | SDSU School of Public Affairs

 

 

Mary Hashem (She/Her)

Co-Founder | Re| Solutions, LLC

President and Founder | Adaapta, LLC

 

 

 

Mary Jane Jagodzinski (She/Her)

Senior Vice President of Development | Bridge Housing

 

 

 

Maryam Tasnif-Abbasi (She/Her)

Brownfield Development Manager | Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

 

 

Matt Winefield (He/Him)

President | Winefield & Associates, Inc.

 

 

 

 

Michael McLaughlin (He/Him)

Senior Vice President of Environmental Services and National Specialist on Brownfields & Landfill Redevelopment | SCS Engineers

Michelle Whitman

Executive Director | Sonoma County Community Development Commission

 

 

 

Nicole Guzman (She/Her)

Project Manager | Satellite Affordable Housing Associate (SAHA)

 

 

Noemi Emeric-Ford (She/Her)

Director | USEPA Southern California Field Office

 

 

 

Norman Rogers (He/Him)

Second Vice President | United Steelworkers

 

 

 

Patricia Ochoa

Program and Operations Manager for CVCI | Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)

 

 

 

Rafat Abbasi (He/Him)

Chief of Discovery and Enforcement Program | CA Department of Toxic Substances Control

 

 

Randolph Brandt, P.G., C.E.M. (He/Him)

Senior Principal Geologist | Geosyntec

 

 

 

Sebastian Harrison (He/Him)

Brownfield Revitalization Specialist | Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

Sergie Albino (He/Him)

Co-Founder & CEO | ecoSPEARS

 

 

 

 

 

Shawn Cobb (He/Him)

Partner | Allen Matkins

 

 

 

 

 

Sheryl Gonzales (She/Her)

Senior Brownfield Consultant | Center for Creative Land Recycling

 

 

 

Stephen Stoewer (He/Him)

Property Development Manager | City of Anaheim

 

 

 

Tim Wood (He/Him)

Vice President and Principal Geologist | GSI Environmental Inc

 

 

 

 

Tonya Dowse (She/Her)

Executive Director | Siskiyou Economic Development Council

 

 

 

 

Wai Yi Ng (She/Her)

Environmental Manager | Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART)

 

 

 

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Visionary Sponsors

  • CAC Specialty
  • Chaberton Energy
  • EKI Environment and Water, Inc.
  • GSI Environmental
  • Langan
  • Nixon Peabody
  • Ramboll
  • SCS Engineers

Champion Sponsors

  • Geosyntec Consultants
  • Greenberg Glusker LLP
  • Intrinsyx Environmental
  • Stantec
  • Terradex, Inc.

Leader Sponsors

  • AKT Peerless
  • C.E.R.E.S Remediation Products
  • GeoKinetics
  • Group Delta
  • Redox Tech
  • Roux
  • Terracon

Supporter Sponsor

  • Beneficial State Bank

Join them in supporting CALRC! See our sponsorship offerings.

Location

Carson Event Center
801 E Carson St, Carson, CA 90745
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