5
              o
                           T>

  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

  Creighton  University,

          Omaha,  NE


EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the
Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to
eligible applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund
grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi-
tionally, funding  support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

Creighton University (9,900 combined population)
was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant.
The 108-acre university campus is located at the heart
of the City of Omaha. The target site, the former
Moreco Plating Company site, is on the eastern edge
of the campus, in an economically distressed area of
North Downtown Omaha. The average per capita
income in the area around the site is $9,204, and the
poverty rate is 41 percent. Soil  and groundwater
contamination at the site poses  a health risk to area
residents. Site cleanup will reduce threats to human
health and the environment and catalyze a campus
expansion that is expected to encourage additional
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected Creighton University for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up heavy metal
 contamination on the former Moreco Plating
 Company site located at 1608 Webster Street in
 Omaha. Grant funds also will be used to conduct
 community outreach activities.
 Contacts
 For further information, including specific grant
 contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
 news and events, and publications and links, visit
 the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
 brownfields.

 EPA Region 7 Brownfields Team
 800-223-0425
 http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brownfields/
 index.htm

 Grant Recipient: Creighton University, NE
 402-546-6269

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
investment. Cleanup and reuse of the site will create
temporary cleanup jobs and encourage long-term job
growth by contributing to the creation of a mixed-use,
pedestrian-oriented district in the North Downtown
area.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-07-039
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------