Revitalization in Indian Country:
Petroleum Brownfields
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
ERA'S Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization supports Tribal efforts to restore contaminated tribal lands to protect the
community's health and the environment. Tribes can apply for the following types of grants to support site assessments, site
work on petroleum contaminated properties, as well as establishing or enhancing a tribal response program in Indian Country.
Funds for Petroleum Site Work
Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants (ARC)
These are also referred to as "104(k)",
shorthand for its section of the
Brownfields Law.
Assessment and cleanup grants fund activities
at sites contaminated by petroleum and/or
hazardous substances, controlled substances
or mine scarred land.
Targeted Brownfield Assessments (TBA)
Quick Info:
• 25 percent of the funding is for petroleum contaminated sites
• An annual competition is held for these funds; usually announced in late
summer, proposals due near year's end with funding awarded in the spring
• Assessment grants are $200 K per site
• Cleanup grants are $200 K per site
• Revolving Loan Funds are designed to have the grantee loan or subgrant funds to
be used to cleanup sites
EPA regional offices may "target" petroleum
sites for assessment.
Quick Info:
• Not a grant program; often helpful with sites that due to time or other
circumstances would not be good candidates for a competitive grant
• Work is completed by EPA
• For more information, contact your Regional Brownfields Coordinator
Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB)
Quick Info:
• Technical assistance in reviewing and interpreting information and reports regarding environmental site work
• Helping understand health risks associated with a brownfield
• For more information, contact your Regional Brownfields Coordinator
State and Tribal Response Program
These are also referred to as "128(a)",
shorthand for its section of the
Brownfields Law.
Supports tribal efforts to create new or
enhance existing Tribal Response Programs.
In addition, some site specific work may be
performed with these funds.
Job Training
Quick Info:
• The statute authorizes $50 million annually for states, tribes and territories
• Funding is to support the establishment or enhancement of the Tribal
Response Program as a whole and is not focused on brownfields
• Funding guidance is usually issued in late fall, requests due in January;
awards made in the spring
• Funding is for one year
• If site specific work is covered under the grant it is limited to brownfield sites
These grants are available to train people for
environmental jobs in areas that have been
awarded brownfield grants.
Quick Info:
• An annual competition is held for these grants, usually announced in the late
summer and awarded early in the following year
• Usually up to $200K per grant
• May be used for training for cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks
and other sites contaminated by petroleum products, asbestos abatement,
or lead abatement
w.epa.gov/brownfi
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Petroleum Success Story Examples
Passamaquoddv Tribe
The Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point received assistance from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's
(MEDEP) Brownfields Program to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments at the Sipiyak Corner
Store site, which includes a vacant gas station. The Phase I assessment determined that the property posed a potential
risk to nearby drinking water wells. Staff from the MEDEP's Brownfields Program coordinated with the Maine Petroleum
Remediation Program to conduct a Phase II investigation and cleanup at the property. The investigation found contaminated
soil associated with the former tanks and pump island. An immediate removal began which was funded through the State's
Groundwater Fund. The cleanup is complete and the property is ready for redevelopment.
Contact Information: Diane Kelley • EPA Region 1 • (617) 918-1424 • kelley.diane@epa.gov
Dale Mitchell • Passamaquoddy Tribe • (207) 853-2600
Shoshone Paiute Tribe
The Elko County School District operates the Owyhee Combined School on the Shoshone Paiute Tribe of the Duck
Valley Reservation. Officials discovered that the grammar school and playground were located above a 4,000 square
foot petroleum contaminated area. The contamination is believed to have been caused by historical overfilling of
heating oil storage tanks which supplied the school boilers. The cost of mobilization and disposal of the contaminated
soil was difficult due to the remote location of the reservation. The Elko County School District received about $54,000
in assessment funding and $200,000 in cleanup funding from the Nevada Brownfields Program. These funds paid for
sampling, analysis and delineation of the contamination and the removal and disposal of soil. The school district paid the
remaining cost of $116,000. Once cleaned, the site was restored as a school playground with asphalt covering the entire
area. The school district continued improvements to the site by purchasing new playground equipment and plans to add
additional equipment to the play area.
Contact Information: Carl Brickner • EPA Region 9 • (415) 972-3814 • brickner.carl@epa.gov
Reno-Sparks
The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) applied for a loan through
the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) in order to
address contamination on a 22-acre property. In November 2007, the
NDEP loaned $950,000 from its EPA Revolving Loan Fund grant to the
RSIC to address the petroleum and lead contamination at the property.
Cleanup included the removal of about/l ,000 tons of contaminated soil
and allowed the RSIC to pursue a risk-based closure through the NDEP.
The property will be redeveloped into Three Nations Plaza, the future
home of a Wal-Mart Super Center. It is expected to generate much
needed jobs and revenue for the community. The project will produce
about $5-6 million in tax revenues a year, which will be used to repay
the bonds for a new Tribal Health Center, fund a new restitution center
and enhance essential government services such as public safety, education, human services, and community development.
Contact Information: Noemi Emeric • EPA Region 9 • (213) 244-1821 • emeric.noemi@epa.gov
Scott Nebesky • Reno-Sparks Indian Colony • (775) 785-1363 x 401 • snebesky@rsic.org
List of Regional Brownfields Coordinators
For a complete list of Regional Brownfields Coordinators visit www.epa.gov/brownfields/corcntct.htm
Soil remediation taking place at the future site of
Three Nations Plaza in Reno, Nevada.
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Revitalization in Indian Country
Petroleum and Brownfields
Fact Sheet
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA-560-F-09-479
Spring 2009
www. epa. go v/brownfields
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