&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/
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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
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