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U.S. EPA AWARDS RICHMOND BROWNFIELDS PILOT PROJECT

Release Date: 8/15/1996
Contact Information: Paula Bruin, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1587

  (San Francisco)--In a presentation to Mayor Rosemary M.
Corbin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) today
awarded Richmond a $200,000 grant to help fund the redevelopment
of industrial sites, known as brownfields.  Richmond is one of 60
cities nationwide U.S. EPA selected to participate in the pilot
redevelopment project.  The city will receive the funding over a
two-year period and will use the funds to revitalize contaminated
properties and return them to thriving, productive use.

      "I am pleased to present this grant to the city of Richmond
to encourage the cleanup of contaminated industrial land and its
return to productive community use," said Elliott P. Laws. U.S.
EPA's assistant administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency
Response.  "We firmly believe that environmental cleanup can
bring life and strength to a community through jobs, an enhanced
tax base, and vision for the community's future.  I thank
Richmond for their leadership and look forward to our
partnership."

     "This is not only a great day for Richmond, but for all
American cities," said Mayor Rosemary M. Corbin.  "There is no
doubt in my mind that the President's brownfields initiative has
national momentum and, with support from Congress, will
eventually benefit every city and community that has abandoned
property."  

     In Richmond, the grant will be used to complete preliminary
site assessments along the 900-acre North Richmond Shoreline
which contains a variety of brownfields.  The grant will allow
the development of an information system to show environmental,
economic, land use and zoning information which will enable the
community, the city and potential developers to better understand
different development options and establish a broad-based task
force to give members of the community an active voice in
brownfield redevelopment decisions.

     Under this pilot, communities and developers will work
together to restore abandoned sites and thereby create new jobs
and economic growth, increase property values, stimulate tax
revenues and rejuvenate neighborhoods.  All the national pilots
will feature cooperative efforts between diverse community
groups, investors, lenders, developers, regulators and other
interested parties.

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