EPA announces $2 million to assist Tribes’ brownfields efforts
January 20, 2017
To address the unique issues of brownfields that our Tribes face, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, in partnership with Kansas State University (KSU), will lead an effort in providing specialized Technical Assistance to Tribal Communities Addressing Brownfields. Brownfields are properties with hazardous substances, pollutants or other contaminants present.
As the recipients of this five-year, $2 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-funded award, the project team of prominent Tribal organizations and experts, under the mentorship of KSU, will provide Tribal solutions to persistent requests for brownfields technical assistance from federally recognized Tribes across the nation.
The ANTHC Tribal Response Program will lead efforts to provide technical assistance services to all Alaska Tribes, including workshops, webinars, trainings and brownfield site assessments. Further, ANTHC will take the lead in creating a Tribal Brownfields Forum, an online, password-protected interactive forum that connects Tribal stakeholders and resources nationwide, following the framework of the already successful online Local Environmental Observer network. The forum will connect peers with subject matter experts and enable users to capture their local environmental knowledge in real time as well as easily share documents and templates.
In this role, the ANTHC Tribal Response Program further elevates ANTHC as a nationwide leader in Tribal public and environmental health. The expected annual funding award is roughly $100,000, serving 229 communities across Alaska. Funds may increase depending upon community need. Learn more about our Brownfields Tribal Response Program here.