A) Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Lake Traverse Reservation, SD RECOUERY.GOV EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states. communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under this law, EPA will provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Community Description The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate is a federally recognized Indian tribe. The total population on the Lake Traverse Reservation is 10,386, and the tribal population is 5,500. Since the tribe's brownfields program was started in 2003, 47 sites have been entered into the inventory. They include abandoned buildings and homes, open dumps, and potential methamphetamine labs. The tribe has limited resources and faces demands such as providing jobs, health care, and affordable housing. Its poverty rate is in excess of 60 percent, and 70 percent of members are unemployed. When the target site is cleaned up, the tribe is planning to redevelop it with ballparks, recreational areas, and open space. Cleanup is expected to generate jobs for tribal workers and allow the tribe to increase its land base. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Tekakwitha Old Orphanage and Boarding School Complex at 111950 B.I.A. Highway 700 in Roberts County. The site was formerly a farm, church, and school, and is contaminated with metals, mercury, and inorganic contaminants co-mingled with petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to support community involvement activities. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 8 Brownfields Team (303)312-7074 EPA Region 8 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region8/bro wnfields) Grant Recipient: Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate,SD (605) 698-4998 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-09-258 May 2009 ------- |