CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
NEWS RELEASE T - 75 - 05
Department of Toxic Substances Control
December 28, 2005
First Agreement Signed Under California's New 'Brownfields' Cleanup Act
Berkeley ? Citing the need to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of
Brownfield sites, Acting Director Leonard Robinson today announced the
signing of the state's first agreement under the California Land Reuse
and Revitalization Act of 2004 (CLRRA), also known as the "Brownfields"
Cleanup Act. The agreement between the Department of Toxic Substances
Control (DTSC) and La Vista, LLC, seeks to clean up a contaminated
parcel in Hayward to residential standards and redevelop the site for
use as affordable housing.
"With the signing of this first agreement, we hope the Brownfields
Cleanup Act will provide a new blueprint for developers, property owners
and local governments who want to address Brownfield sites but have
concerns about liability. This agreement is consistent with Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Environmental Action Plan to provide for the
evaluation and redevelopment of underutilized sites to accommodate
desirable mixed use, compact development and urban in-fill growth," said
Robinson.
The Brownfields Cleanup Act went into effect on January 1, 2005, with
the passage of Assembly Bill 389 (Montanez). The legislation provided
new liability protections to developers, innocent landowners and
contiguous property owners in an effort to promote the cleanup and
redevelopment of California's estimated 100,000 Brownfields sites.
Brownfields are properties with real or perceived contamination that may
be vacant or underused due to environmental cleanup costs and liability
concerns. A copy of the agreement can be viewed at www.dtsc.ca.gov
The 3.5-acre site, which is the subject of today's announcement, was
used historically for agricultural purposes until the 1950s when it was
converted for use as a food processing facility. Kruger Foods, Inc.
processed cucumbers into pickles on the Site until 2004. La Vista, LLC
purchased the property in 2005.
DTSC entered into the agreement with La Vista, LLC to address
contamination at the former Kruger Food, Inc.'s pickle manufacturing
plant located at 22958 Saklan Road in Hayward. Under this agreement, La
Vista, LLC will identify and analyze any contaminants currently existing
at the property and clean up any past hazardous material releases to
ensure that the property is safe for residential use. The work will be
conducted under DTSC oversight. After these environmental cleanup
activities are completed, the property will then be developed in
conjunction with Eden Housing into affordable housing.
This site is one of thousands of Brownfield sites in California that are
located in urban and rural industrial or agricultural settings. DTSC is
working with other public agencies and private entities to remediate
Brownfield properties throughout California.
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To download the original, formatted release, go to
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PressRoom/upload/T-75-05.pdf
--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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