&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-234 July 1998 Assessment Demonstration Pilot Hoopa Valley Tribe, CA Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the Hoopa Valley Tribe for a Brownfields Pilot. The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation (HVIR), California's largest Indian Reservation, has apopulation of 3,431. The reservation is located in the northeastern portion of Humboldt County. The HVIR has very high incidences of unemployment (29.6%) and poverty (40.7%) rates. The nearest job market is located approximately 65 miles east in Eureka, so access to employment opportunities is a major concern. The 1980 closure of an 83-acre lumber mill that had been operating since 1957 has left the area idle and has also affected surrounding properties. Although some environmental testing and cleanup has been conducted at the site, the perception of residual contamination has hindered site development and has caused public health concerns for nearby residents. The site is an important element of the Tribe's comprehensive development plan because it mixes much needed affordable housing with industrial development and job creation. PILOT SNAPSHOT Hoopa Valley Tribe, California Date of Announcement: July 1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets an 83-acre former lumber mill site on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation for a mixed-use industrial park. Contacts: Tribal Environmental Protection Agency Hoopa Valley Tribe (916)625-5515 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 9 (415)744-2237 Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- OBJECTIVES In conjunction with Tribal-wide comprehensive planning and overall economic development plans, the Pilot will facilitate environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the former lumbermill into amixed- use industrial park. To help achieve this objective, the Pilot will focus on environmental activities preliminary to cleanup and redevelopment. In addition to the Pilot, the Tribe is working with other Federal partners to ensure that the project is a success. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting environmental site assessments, site identification, and site characterization of the target site; • Conducting community outreach and public education activities; • Developing effective and affordable cleanup and redevelopment plans; and • Leveraging of funding from the public and private sectors. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. BrownfieldsAssessment Demonstration Pilot Hoopa Valley Tribe, California July 1998 EPA 500-F-98-234 ------- |