The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) offers loans and grants to assist with addressing environmental investigations and cleanups at properties throughout California. DTSC’s goal with these funding resources is to empower communities and other stakeholders to work together in a timely manner to facilitate the return of blighted and underutilized properties to safe and productive uses.
Grants
Targeted Site Investigation (TSI) Program
Under the TSI Program, DTSC selects sites to receive environmental services through a competitive application process. The TSI focuses on brownfield sites where redevelopment or reuse is being considered. The DTSC TSI Program is funded by the US EPA through a CERCLA 128(a) State and Trial Response Program Grant. For the selected properties, DTSC provides assessment, investigation, or cleanup planning services at no cost to the applicant.
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
The RLF provides US EPA-funded grants up to $200,000 for brownfields sites where redevelopment or reuse is planned. Under this program, local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and tribes who are not considered to be responsible parties could be eligible for a grant to help with the cost of implementing a hazardous substance or petroleum cleanup.
Loans
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
Through the RLF, DTSC provides below-market, low interest loans for cleanup of a hazardous substance or petroleum site where redevelopment or reuse is planned. Eligible borrowers include local agencies and municipalities, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and private entities who are not considered to be responsible parties.
Cleanup Loans and Environmental Assistance to Neighborhoods (CLEAN) Program
Provides low-interest loans of up to $2.5 million for the cleanup of hazardous materials where redevelopment of abandoned and underutilized urban properties is likely to have a beneficial impact on the property values, economic viability, and quality of life of a community.
Investigating Site Contamination Program (ISCP)
Provides low-interest loans of up to $100,000 to conduct preliminary endangerment assessments of underutilized urban properties. If redevelopment of property is determined not economically feasible, up to 75 percent of the loan amount may be waived.
For more information on technical aspects of this funding, contact Maryam.Tasnif-Abbasi@dtsc.ca.gov.
For more information on financial aspects of this funding, contact Jennifer.Black@dtsc.ca.gov.
Other Funding Support
DTSC holds webinars/workshops with other agencies to share information on different state and federal funding sources. Additionally, DTSC supports parties pursuing US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) brownfields grant by writing letters of acknowledgement which are a required aspect of the application process. DTSC also helps U.S. EPA grant applicants and recipients access federal brownfields funding by determining eligibility of petroleum contaminated brownfields sites, under CERCLA section 101(39)(D).