We were informed today that the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the city a grant of $400,000 from the federal Brownfields program, which funds the cleaning and rehabilitation of contaminated areas; "brownfields", by definition, are properties whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In CD13, the grant will help assess the possibility of remediating the Rockwood Park site in Historic Filipinotown, where abandoned oil extraction wells have a history of releasing small amounts of methane and hydrogen sulfide. (Part of the grant will also go towards a remediation assessment in San Pedro.)
The obstables to locating new parks in dense, urban areas are tremendous. But my goal since I took office has been to double the number of parks in CD13. Obstacles are, if you'll pardon the expression, part of the course. And this grant puts us one step closer to knowing that Rockwood can be made safe for children at play.
For more information, check out Los Angeles's Brownfields program in the Environmental Affairs Department.