5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Sarpy County, 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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description Sarpy County was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in eastern Nebraska, Sarpy County (population 141,376) was explored by Lewis and Clark and settled by fur traders, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Sarpy is a rapidly growing county with a population that has increased by 15 percent over five years. The target site, PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer, has been vacant since 1999. Its closing resulted in the loss of jobs and tax revenues for the county. The site is situated at the confluence of the Platte and Missouri Rivers, both of which provide wildlife habitat, as well as drinking water and recreational opportunities for residents of Nebraska and Iowa. Potential contamina- tion from this 954-acre site poses threats to human health and the ecology of the area. The stigma associ- ated with the site is one of the main obstacles to Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected Sarpy County for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct a Phase II environ- mental site assessment at the 954-acre PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer site at 202 Allied Road in La Platte. The currently vacant site was used to manufacture fertilizer for more than 40 years. Grant funds also will be used to support 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 Grant Recipient: Sarpy County, NE 402-593-2347 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. redevelopment. Assessment is expected to facilitate site cleanup and make the site more attractive for redevelopment. The county plans to retain two-thirds of the property for wetlands and prairie grass restora- tion and redevelop the balance for industrial use. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-08-176 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |