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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
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