Brownfields Ombudsperson

The Brownfields Ombudsperson is who community members, property owners, local government, small and large businesses, and small and large property developers can turn to for assistance with the environmental regulatory requirements for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Contact Rick Brausch, Brownfields Ombudsperson, at Brownfields@calepa.ca.gov or by calling (916) 445-3131.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Cal/EPA Brownfields Ombudsperson is to provide the public with access to and assistance in navigating the regulatory site cleanup process and to encourage open communication to resolve complaints and conflicts.

The Cal/EPA Brownfields Ombudsperson’s mission is to:

• Assist in the coordination of the brownfields activities of each office, board, and department within the California Environmental Protection Agency.
• Advocate and expand the relationship between the California Environmental Protection Agency and local, state, and federal governmental entities' efforts pertaining to brownfields.
• Serve as the California Environmental Protection Agency's representative on committees, working groups, and other organizations pertaining to brownfields.
• Provide assistance in investigating complaints from the public, and helping to resolve and coordinate the resolution of those complaints relating to the brownfields activities of each office, board, and department within the California Environmental Protection Agency.
• Facilitate and advocate that the issue of environmental justice for communities most impacted, including low-income and racial minority populations, is considered in brownfields activities of each office, board, and department within the California Environmental Protection Agency.

What is an Ombudsperson?

An Ombudsperson serves as a friendly advisor to individuals with unresolved complaints and acts to ensure a fair resolution of the situation. Cal/EPA’s Brownfields Ombudsperson operates independently of the office, boards, and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency, reporting directly to the Secretary of Cal/EPA. Essentially, the Ombudsperson acts as an unbiased party during disputes. The Ombudsperson can investigate a complaint and make a recommendation, but has no direct, legal authority to make or reverse a decision.

What can the Ombudsperson do for me?

Frequently, private citizens, community activists, and property owners do not have the necessary resources to play a major role in the regulatory decisions or development of regulations that affect them. If you have an interest in a specific brownfields issue, the Brownfields Ombudsperson can help you gain access to the regulatory process. We want everyone who chooses to do so to have an opportunity to participate in the cleanup and redevelopment of California's brownfields. The Ombudsperson will work with you to determine ways in which you can get involved.

In addition, the Ombudsperson is available to investigate your complaint or concern with the fairness of rules, regulation development, and program implementation. We will work with you and the offices, boards, and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency to reach a fair resolution in a nonadversial manner. The Ombudsperson does not advocate for either party. The Ombudsperson's job is to consider all information in an unbiased way and to aid in the resolution.