Emeryville, Oakland, Cypress Mandela Awarded Recovery Act Grants for Contaminated Land Clean Up and Local Job Creation

Oakland, CA – August 7, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement selecting the City of Emeryville to receive $500,000 in Recovery Act funding to help protect human health and the environment. Additionally the cities of Emeryville and Oakland will receive $500,000 and $400,000 respectively in other brownfields funding.

Emeryville will use the funds to assist with the city’s Greenway project. The project involves the construction of a new research and development building; the extension of Emeryville Greenway improvements, and the expansion of an existing public plaza. The project will be receiving planning entitlements in late 2009 and cleanup plans are already prepared. The City of Oakland will use its funds to cleanup sites planned for redevelopment throughout the city.

The EPA has also designated $500,000 for the Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc. through the Recovery Act to provide job training to assess and clean up brownfields. They plan to train 180 students and place 144 graduates in brownfields and green construction-related jobs in West Oakland

“The cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields is a key component for community revitalization,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. These funds will allow us to turn problem properties into community assets, while providing a direct benefit to both environmental and our local economy.”

For additional information on brownfields cleanup, revolving loan fund pilots and grants and other EPA Brownfields activities under the Recovery Act go to www.epa.gov/brownfields/eparecovery/index.htm. To learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, go to www.recovery.gov.

Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661