Starting Off, Big Creek

The local sponsor calls you and wants you to come and see the problem that the county is having.  It sounds complicated, with railroads and streams and old levees and erosion and scouring and lots of economic damage.  You listen with a sympathetic ear; after all, you are with the Federal Government, and you are here to help.

Some of the features he mentions in his discussion sound familiar, and they are a short car ride away - about an hour drive, with traffic.  You take a look with googleearth and create a quick .kmz file with a rough outline.  Zooming in, you see the following:

You export the file into the https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen browser, and determine that there is no preference for disadvantaged communities.  

Your local partner asks you a question again, and you start, realizing you were multi-tasking and had not heard the question, either the first or the second time.  You apologize, and ask for a third repeat of the question.  

"I said, 'Do you think there is a project here?'"

You choose to:

Enthusiastically say yes. And ask for a letter of intent. 

Waffle a little, and discuss the authorities that might be able to be used. 

Take a breath, and ask if you can get back to him.