April 2006

The Federal Courthouse, located in Sacramento, represents the current ongoing transformation of the city’s downtown area. The three-acre Federal Courthouse site consists of approximately 2.5 acres of City of Sacramento property and a half-acre area of the former Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SPTCo), Sacramento Station Study Area (SSSA).

April 2006

Since the 1940s, the El Cerrito Mill and Lumber Company successfully milled and sold high-grade lumber on a four-acre site in the heart of the City of El Cerrito. Until the decline of this industry, residents of El Cerrito were drawn to this specialty business to purchase custom-built wood doors, fl ooring, framing, and windows that were assembled onsite by craftsmen. Chemicals used as part of onsite operations caused both soil and groundwater contamination. Since 2001, the space has remained vacant due to concerns over the contamination, which stymied reuse.

April 2006

In the foreground of a familiar downtown skyline lies 32 acres of abandoned land that will soon become Los Angeles’ first urban state park. This site, named the Cornfield Site because of its agricultural history, contains remnants of the zanja madre (mother lode) aqueduct, constructed in 1871, which supplied water to the Pueblo de Los Angeles. The land was also utilized as a pre-Civil War cornfield and for the past 100 years as a rail yard by Union Pacific Railroad.

April 2006

Sacramento’s R Street Corridor is rich in history. R Street in downtown Sacramento was built on the abandoned lines of the historic Sacramento Valley Railroad, which was the first passenger railroad in the West. Beginning in 1856, the railroad ran from the Sacramento River to what is now the City of Folsom. With the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) providing oversight of investigation and cleanup of property in the area, brownfields property is being revitalized to transform part of historic downtown Sacramento.

October 2005

The City of Emeryville, best known for undergoing extensive redevelopment, has successfully transformed an antiquated industrial part of town into a thriving retail and residential community. The City is continuing this success with the renovation of the South Bayfront site. From 1987 to 1991 Barbary Coast Steel owned and occupied a 23.5 acre area that was acquired from the Judson Steel Company, which had owned the property since in the late 1800’s.

October 2005

The Hercules Powder Works began operations in 1881 and became the largest producer of TNT in the world. By the 1960’s, the 1,300-acre facility transitioned from making explosives to producing fertilizers. The community of Hercules, named for the factory, is still recognized by its rusting tanks and smoke stacks. However, a vision for community restoration has made this neighborhood, within commute distance to San Francisco, a sought after property.

October 2005

Manufacturing electronic products has long been part of the economic history of the San Francisco Bay Area. However, manufacturing processes can result in hazardous materials being released into the environment. Located in the City of Mountain View, a city known for its place at the forefront of technology is the TRW/VIDAR site. Contamination found at this site was not only caused by activities by TRW and VIDAR, but also by a neighboring electronics manufacturer, Plessey Micro Science. The quantity and nature of the substances released by both companies prompted concerns over public health.

October 2005

Trojan Powder Works of San Leandro produced ammunition during World War I and made explosives that were used in the construction of the Panama Canal. These processes led to the release of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbon into the soil. In 1965 the factory ceased operations and all buildings were demolished. Fourteen years later Citation Homes purchased the land with redevelopment in mind. However, contamination concerns halted the construction plans for homes on this 79-acre parcel. The limited information left developers with no options for reuse. The property was left abandoned for the next 25 years.

October 2005

In contrast to the high tech Santa Clara County known today, in the past, this area was based on agricultural production. Housing demand during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s dramatically transformed this area into a high density urbanized South Bay Area hub. However, at that time, the release of chemicals from years of farming practice was not known to be an issue. Pesticides found in farming products are now known as very stable substances that typically do not readily break down in the soil. These chemicals can build up over years of use. At high concentrations, these chemicals can pose threats to both human health and the environment.

A new biotechnology campus will rise where a decrepit century-old paint factory once stood in South San Francisco, thanks to a recent RCRA brownfields agreement. California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) reached a prospective purchaser agreement (PPA) with Genentech, one of the world’s leading biotech companies, to create an innovative 27-acre expansion of Genentech’s existing corporate campus. The PPA allows new construction while requiring that the known environmental contamination at the site is appropriately addressed to protect construction personnel as well as future occupants at the site.