United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-00-135 May 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ \>EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Yankton Sioux Tribe, SD Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) 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. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs 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 Yankton Sioux Tribe for a Brownfields Pilot. The Yankton Indian Reservation covers more than 200,000 acres along the Missouri River in southeastern Charles Mix County, South Dakota. In 1996, the reservation population was 6,500 (4,500 tribal residents and 2,000 non-tribal), and 85 percent of the residents were unemployed. The Greenwood community, where the target site is located, is in the southernmost part of the reservation on the Missouri River and is home to 50 residents. Greenwood has an outstanding view of the river and is situated near rolling hills and shear bluffs leading to the river shores. Oral history says that the Lewis and Clark expedition met with the Yankton Sioux for the third and last times at the site of the present day Greenwood community. The 20-acre target site in Greenwood contains several abandoned buildings, one of which covers 5,000 square feet of space. Indicators of potential environmental contamination at the targeted site included stressed vegetation, asbestos-containing materials, a boiler room in the old school basement with possible used oil and lead contamination, and abandoned cars and appliances. Additionally, various PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement: May 2000 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Yankton Sioux Tribe targets a 20-acre site that is part of the Greenwood Community in the southernmost part of the Yankton Indian Reservation. Yankton Sioux Tribe, SD Contacts: YanktonSioux Tribe (605)384-3641 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 8 (303)312-6803 Visit the EPA Region 8 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/bfhome.html Forfurther information, 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/ ------- unknown materials may have been disposed of on- site. The proximity of the site to the Missouri River poses apotential negative impact on the river surface water and riparian habitat. OBJECTIVES The Yankton Sioux Tribe plans to redevelop the Greenwood site in anticipation of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial celebration (beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2008). The tribe believes that through redevelopment, the health and welfare of the Greenwood community and its future visitors/tourists will be enhanced. Site assessments will benefit the community by assuring that environmental contaminants are identified and, therefore, can be cleaned up so that they no longer pose a threat to public health. Redevelopment will benefit the tribe economically as numerous jobs will be created. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting a records search on the site; • Identifying the extent of the contamination; • Involving the community in decision-making activities regarding the cleanup and redevelopment of the target site by developing and distributing educational materials specific to the site; • Identifying sources for funding the cleanup of hazardous contaminants; and • Engaging in response/cleanup planning. The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfieids Assessment Demonstration Pilot Yankton Sioux Tribe, SD May2000 EPA 500-F-00-135 ------- |