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Oakley awarded $200,000 grant from U.S. EPA

Release Date: 2/10/2004
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, U.S. EPA, (415) 947-4297; or Suzanne Iarla, City of Oakley, (925) 625-7015

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S Environmental Protection Agency today awarded the city of Oakley a $200,000 grant to identify and study underutilized Brownfields properties in the city that may have potential hazardous waste contamination.

Oakley City Manager Mike Oliver, Mayor Pat Anderson and members of the city council received the grant from Wayne Nastri, the administrator of U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office in San Francisco.

Oakley developed its Brownfields Program to encourage reuse of underutilized properties in a way that fits with local residents’ desires, and the U.S. EPA’s grant will help achieve that goal.

"The Oakley Brownfields Program strengthens our ability to eliminate blight and improve the economic and physical conditions of the community," explained Oakley City Manager Mike Oliver. "We are very excited about receiving this funding and to continue our relationship with the EPA regarding Brownfields in Oakley."

"The U.S. EPA is pleased to award Oakley this grant to help the city in achieving its goal of revitalization and redevelopment," said Wayne Nastri, administrator of the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office in San Francisco. "This grant builds upon work started by the state, and strengthens the federal partnership with the community."

The city is facilitating assessment of the properties identified by the public as potential Brownfield locations, which includes researching records and databases of environmental agencies to determine previous uses. Investigating the sites will help reduce the uncertainty regarding what contamination is on the property and how much time and money it will take to cleanup. This information is useful to investors interested in developing a site.

Two community meetings have already been held to solicit input from the public regarding the location of Brownfields. "For years, the community has expressed that portions of Oakley, including parts of Main Street, are unattractive," said Oliver. "We are encouraging interested citizens, local business owners and especially long-term Oakley residents who know about previous land uses to get involved."

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/brownfields