California Brownfields

Throughout California, there are likely tens of thousands of properties that lie unused due to some kind of pollution. These so-called brownfields can be detrimental to the public health in a variety of ways. Join Health Dialogues as we explore California brownfields: some ignored, some successfully cleaned up and others somewhere in between.

Toxic Site Clean-Up

Scott Shafer speaks with the former director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). She shares her perspective on brownfield clean-up in California after having served for three years at the DTSC under Governor Schwarzenegger. Guest: Maureen Gorsen, former director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

• Military Clean-Up Map: View a map of military clean-up sites in California. Sites are organized by whether they are contaminated, if clean-up has begun and if the site is now deemed safe for use. [NOTE: Google periodically has trouble loading the map. If an error occurs, please try again in a few minutes.]

A Railyard Brownfield

Health Dialogues reports on a showdown between the City of Los Angeles and Union Pacific Railroad, over a brush-filled, urban wasteland that everyone wants cleaned up, but no one wants to pay for. Reporter: Sarah Varney

• Photo Slideshow: See photos from reporter Sarah Varney's trip to the abandoned, contaminated property near the Port of Los Angeles.

Legacy of the Gold Mines

Health Dialogues visits Nevada City, near Lake Tahoe, one of the first townships to apply for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) money to clean up two old mining sites, and build a public nature trail. Reporter: Kelley Weiss

• Photos of Old Gold Mines: See photos from reporter Kelley Weiss's trip to Nevada City, where old gold mines continue to contaminate the area. The city has received funds to clean the toxic sites.

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard

Health Dialogues take a trip to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site in San Francisco: the old naval shipyard at Hunters Point. A panel of experts also weighs in on the clean-up. Guest: Amy Brownell, environmental engineer for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Guest: Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, MD, MPH, environmental health director for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Guest: Dr. Veronica Hunnicutt, dean of the Southeast Campus of City College in San Francisco, and chair of the Mayor's Hunters Point Shipyard Citizens' Advisory Committee. Guest: Saul Bloom, executive director of ARC Ecology.

• Photos of Hunters Point: See photos of the abandoned naval shipyard. The site has been declared clean for use, and redevelopment has begun.

Brownfield Successes and Challenges That Remain

Health Dialogues speaks with a representative of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about which contaminated sites have been successfully cleaned in California, and the challenges that remain. Guest: Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9).