5 o T> Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet Harvard, 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 The City of Harvard was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in south-central Nebraska, Harvard (population 998) is a rural commu- nity where most of its residents commute to larger employment centers for work. Between 1980 and 2000, the city experienced a downturn in the local agricultural economy and a significant decline in population. The city's per capita income is 67 percent of the state average, and about 54 percent of house- holds are classified as low-to-moderate income. The city is targeting sites in the Harvard Courts Residential Area and the Harvard Central Business District for assessment. The Courts, a former Department of Defense barracks community, has evolved into low- income housing where more than 50 percent of residents are Hispanic. The Business District contains Assessment Grant $140,580 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Harvard for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub- stances grant funds will be used to develop a database and inventory of brownfields sites and support bilingual community outreach activities. Funds also will be used to conduct seven Phase I and up to six Phase II environmental site assess- ments in the Harvard Courts Residential Area and the Harvard Central Business District. 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: City of Harvard, NE 402-772-7101 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. about 40 acres of abandoned and underused commer- cial and industrial properties. The city plans to rede- velop a portion of the Courts area into a much-needed recreational facility, and has targeted the Business District for several new commercial and retail devel- opment projects. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-07-070 May 2007 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |