Urban Land Redevelopment (Brownfields)
Welcome!
Are you trying to buy or develop a site that you know or suspect to be contaminated? Are you confused by California's environmental regulatory structure? Are you wondering if you will need to clean up your site and, if so, how much? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", the Urban Land Redevelopment Program can help. This web page provides a brief description of the program and allows you to view or download the latest documents.
What is the Urban Land Redevelopment Program?
The Urban Land Redevelopment (ULR) Program is a collaborative effort by the City of Oakland and the principal agencies charged with enforcing environmental regulations in Oakland (Department of Toxic Substances Control, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Alameda County Environmental Health) to facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties. The ULR Program is coordinated by the City of Oakland and is specific to Oakland sites.
The ULR Program clarifies environmental investigation requirements, standardizes the regulatory process and establishes Oakland-specific, risk-based corrective action (RBCA) standards for qualifying sites. RBCA standards are criteria that, when met, adequately address the risk posed by contamination to human health. Through a comprehensive risk-based approach, the ULR Program can help you to design a corrective action strategy that is cost-effective while still providing a high level of protection for the public.
How the ULR Program Can Assist You
Regulatory "closure" is often critical to securing investors for development at contaminated sites; however, the local, state and federal regulatory requirements associated with environmental site assessment and cleanup can be confusing. The ULR Program can save you time and money by assisting you to:
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Reduce the amount of investigation required to determine appropriate corrective actions
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Obtain quicker regulatory agency approval of the corrective actions
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Minimize the cost of implementing the corrective actions
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Provide potential lenders with greater certainty regarding your environmental costs
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Better estimate your overall project costs
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Work cooperatively with those living and working in the vicinity of your site
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Receive regulatory site closure quicker
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Realize development goals faster
Download or View ULR Program Documents
The PDF documents listed below may be downloaded or viewed online using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Simply click on the name of the document you want to download or view. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click on the icon at the left to open a new browser window and download the most current version at no cost. Note: the Oakland RBCA spreadsheet requires Microsoft Excel 97 or later; the Eligibility Checklist and Cover Sheet require Microsoft Word 97 or later. Remember to only print the documents you actually need-- Save Paper!
Guidance Documents
The City of Oakland has created several guidance documents to help you participate in the ULR Program. You should begin by reviewing the Oakland Urban Land Redevelopment Program: Guidance Document. This and other instructional materials that you may wish to consult are described briefly below.
Oakland Urban Land Redevelopment Program Guidance Document: This user-friendly document provides an overview of the ULR Program and helps you understand the ULR process.guidance.pdf (870K)
Oakland Risk-Based Corrective Action Eligibility Checklist: This one-page document is a template version of the eligibility checklist found in the ULR Program Guidance Document. The Eligibility Checklist requires Microsoft Word 97 or later. eligible.doc (37K)
Corrective Actions to Meet Oakland RBCA Eligibility Criteria: This one-page document provides options available to meet the criteria described in the Oakland RBCA Eligibility Checklist if your site does not initially pass the checklist. correct.pdf (7K)
Oakland Risk-Based Corrective Action Exposure Assessment Worksheet: This one-page document is an enlarged template version of the flow chart found in the ULR Program Guidance Document. exposure.pdf (9K)
Oakland Risk-Based Corrective Action Cover Sheet: This one-page document is a template version of the sample cover sheet for Oakland RBCA submittals found in the ULR Program Guidance Document. The Cover Sheet requires Microsoft Word 97 or later. cover.doc (43K)
Oakland Risk-Based Corrective Action Spreadsheet: This Excel file is used to calculate the Oakland-specific risk-based corrective action levels promulgated as part of the ULR Program, and may be used to calculate more site-specific, Tier 3 levels for your site. The Oakland RBCA spreadsheet requires Microsoft Excel 97 or later. wksheet2.xls (722K)
Survey of Background Metal Concentration Studies: This one-page document contains a table with results from background metal concentrations studies at locations where the geology is likely to be similar to that of sites in Oakland. metals.pdf (11K)
Technical Background
The Oakland-specific RBCA standards are the product of extensive scientific research and mathematical models that take into account chemical toxicity, human exposure, tolerance for risk, geologic and climatic conditions, land use and other factors.
Oakland Risk-Based Corrective Action: Technical Background Document: This is a large, highly-technical document that provides the scientific basis for the Oakland-specific risk-based corrective action levels promulgated as part of the ULR Program. techback.pdf (509K)
Oakland Benzene Partitioning Study Synopsis: This three-page document summarizes a study undertaken by the City of Oakland to better understand sorption of organic chemicals to different soil types. focstudy.pdf (19K)
Permit Tracking
Permit tracking is an innovative institutional control created through the ULR Program that can assist you in implementing effective and cost-efficient corrective actions at contaminated sites.
Oakland's Permit Tracking Control: Managing Long-Term Risk: This three-page document describes how permit tracking is used to both protect public health and reduce the expense of corrective actions. pts.pdf (20K)
Community Input
The ULR Program Oversight Committee sought community input in the formation of the ULR Program.
Consensus Recommendations for Implementing the Oakland Urban Land Redevelopment Program, Report of the Community Review Panel: This report was written by a panel of Oakland residents representing the diversity of interests in Oakland. crreport.pdf (107K)
or contact Mark Gomez at 510-238-7314
mmgomez@oaklandnet.com