24 C.F.R. § 585.307 Environmental procedures and standards.
Title 24 - Housing and Urban Development
(a) Environmental procedures. Applicants are encouraged to select hazard-free and problem-free properties for their Youthbuild projects. Environmental procedures apply to HUD approval of implementation grants when the applicant proposes to use Youthbuild funds to cover any costs for the lease, acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of real property that is proposed for housing project development. Environmental procedures do not apply to HUD approval of implementation grants when applicants propose to use their Youthbuild funds solely to cover any costs for classroom and/or on-the-job construction training and supportive services. For those applicants that propose to use their Youthbuild funds to cover any costs of the lease, acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of real property, the applicant shall submit all relevant environmental information in its application to support HUD decision-making in accordance with the following environmental procedures and standards. (1) Before any Youthbuild implementation application that requests funds for acquisition, rehabilitation, or construction can be selected for funding, HUD shall determine whether any environmental thresholds are exceeded in accordance with 24 CFR part 50, which implements the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the related Federal environmental laws and authorities listed under 24 CFR 50.4. (i) If HUD determines that one or more of the thresholds are exceeded, HUD shall conduct a compliance review of the issue and, if appropriate, establish mitigating measures that the applicant shall carry out for the property; (ii) In performing its review, HUD may use previously issued environmental reviews prepared by local, State, or other Federal agencies for the proposed property; (iii)(A) The application for the Youthbuild implementation grant shall provide HUD with: (1) Applicant documentation for environmental threshold review; and (2) Any previously issued environmental reviews prepared by local, State, or other Federal agencies for the proposed property. (B) The applicant is encouraged to contact the local community development agency to obtain any previously issued environmental reviews for the proposed property as well as for other relevant information that can be used in the applicant documentation for the environmental threshold review. In using previous reviews by other sources, HUD must, however, conduct the environmental analysis and prepare the environmental review and be responsible for any required environmental findings. (2) HUD reserves the right to disqualify any application where one or more environmental thresholds are exceeded if HUD determines that the compliance review cannot be conducted and satisfactorily completed within the HUD review period for applications. (3) If Youthbuild funds are requested for acquisition, rehabilitation, or construction, applicants are prohibited from committing or expending State, local or other funds to undertake property acquisition (including lease), rehabilitation or construction under this program until notification of grant award. (b) Environmental thresholds. HUD shall determine whether a NEPA environmental assessment is required. Also, HUD shall determine whether the proposed property triggers thresholds for the applicable Federal environmental laws and authorities listed under 24 CFR 50.4 as follows: (1) For minor rehabilitation of a building and any property acquisition (including lease), Federal environmental laws and authorities may apply when the property is: (i) Located within designated coastal barrier resources; (ii) Contaminated by toxic chemicals or radioactive materials; (iii) Located within a floodplain; (iv) A building for which flood insurance protection is required; (v) Located within a runway clear zone at a civil airport or within a clear zone or accident potential zone at a military airfield; or (vi) Listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places; located within, or adjacent to, an historic district, or is a property whose area of potential effects includes a historic district or property. (2) For major rehabilitation of a building and also for substantial improvement in floodplains, in addition to paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (vi) of this section, other Federal environmental laws and authorities may apply when the property: (i) Has significant impact to the human environment; (ii) Is a project involving five or more dwelling units severely noise-impacted; or (iii) Affects coastal zone management. (3) For new construction, conversion or increase in dwelling unit density, in addition to paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (vi) and paragraphs (b)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section, other Federal environmental laws and authorities may apply when the property: (i) Is located near hazardous industrial operations handling fuels or chemicals of an explosive or flammable nature; (ii) Affects a sole source aquifer; (iii) Affects endangered species; or (iv) Is located within a designated wetland. (c) Qualified data sources. The environmental threshold information provided by applicants must be from qualified data sources. A qualified data source means any Federal, State, or local agency with expertise or experience in environmental protection (e.g., the local community development agency; the local planning agency; the State environmental protection agency; the State Historic Preservation Officer) or any other source qualified to provide reliable information on the particular property. (d) Minor rehabilitation means proposed fixing and repairs: (1) Whose estimated cost is less than 75 percent of the property value after completion; (2) That does not involve changes in land use from residential to nonresidential, or from nonresidential to residential; (3) That does not involve the demolition of one or more buildings, or parts of a building, containing the primary use served by the property; and (4) That does not increase unit density more than 20 percent.
Title 24: Housing and Urban Development
PART 585—YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM
Subpart D—Youthbuild Implementation Grants
§ 585.307 Environmental procedures and standards.
