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SDSU updates National City on Brownfields inventory; EPA-funded assessments underway
Summary
San Diego State University told council it has identified about 120 potential brownfield sites across National City and is completing Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental site assessments for preselected city-owned parcels, asking the city to help with property-owner outreach.
San Diego State University updated the National City Council on a multi-year Brownfields assessment project, saying the team has compiled a community-informed inventory of potential brownfield sites and is moving into final environmental assessments for several city-owned properties.
Jessica Barlow and Maddie Swain of SDSU’s Center for Regional Sustainability said the project combined community nominations, EPA ACRES data and the city’s amortization list to create an inventory of roughly 120 sites across the city. “We brought all three sources of data together… identifying about a 120 brownfield sites here in National City,” Swain told the council.
SDSU described four main project activities: creating the inventory, setting prioritization criteria (near schools, hospitals, parcel size, neighborhood context), conducting Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental site assessments and doing reuse planning. The presenters emphasized that the current grants fund assessment and planning work only — not cleanup or construction — and said Phase 2 results could make a site competitive for follow-on EPA or Department of Toxic Substances Control remediation funding.
Council and staff asked how assessment results would be used on city-owned parcels and whether Phase 2 work would support development financing. Carlos Aguirre, director of community development, said clean environmental reports help secure public financing and accelerate project timelines. Engineering Director Steve Manganel said demolition of a welding shop was completed as Phase 1 work and Phase 2 design work could lead to wetlands expansion, a pedestrian plaza, restrooms and amenities; staff expects to go out to bid in the fall for that project.
SDSU asked council to help with property-owner outreach so owners of privately held sites would know free Phase 1 assessments are available; the presenters said they would continue to prioritize sites that match community criteria and would rely on their Brownfields advisory committee for final decisions.
Council members thanked the SDSU team for community engagement and emphasized the need to focus assessment resources on sites with likely contamination, not on items added to the inventory solely because residents want reuse options.
