Brownfields Assessment

On Thursday February 17, 2022, the City of Grass Valley is having a public virtual meeting to report the findings of the Gold Country Coalition EPA Brownfields assessment of eleven properties totaling 386 acres; all of these sites were close to population centers.  Seven cleanup plans were prepared for 229 acres of property which characterized about 148,600 cubic yards of mining contamination.  Please join us for this public presentation. You may register for the webinar here.  The Sierra Fund is hosting the event.

In 2009, 2012, 2013 and again in 2017, the City of Grass Valley successfully secured federal grant funds to begin a process of revitalizing former industrial and commercial sites by turning them from “problem” properties to ones with productive business and community uses. The program has allowed the City to proactively address contaminated properties that provide important economic development opportunities for the community.

Under the 2017 Brownfields Assessment Grant, the City of Grass Valley took the lead and partnered with the City of Nevada City and Nevada County to form the Gold Country Coalition, in order to enhance local agency collaboration to achieve regional Brownfields redevelopment goals. The Coalition provides a forum in which the partners can align redevelopment strategies, leverage funding and develop a road map for land revitalization. In addition, the City of Nevada City has separately been awarded three US EPA Brownfields grants, and a fourth grant was secured by the Yuba River Charter School. The success of local agencies and organizations in competing for Brownfields funding demonstrates a regional commitment to sustainable redevelopment and protecting public health.