State and Tribal Response Program SEPA
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EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
REGION I
REGION 3
MASSACHUSETTS - The Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Bureau of Waste Site
Cleanup (BWSC) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding
to update and release its Final Vapor Intrusion Guidance in October
of 2016. The updated guidance reflects more recent science
and professional practice and the June 2014 Massachusetts
Contingency Plan (MCP) amendments related to vapor intrusion
site assessment, mitigation and closure. The guidance provides
a clear and comprehensive presentation of MCP requirements
and acceptable technical approaches for the assessment,
mitigation and closure of vapor intrusion sites and allows for
professional discretion in applying best practices to a range of
disposal site conditions and scenarios. The updated guidance
and related training will greatly enhance BWSC's efforts to ensure
the adequate assessment and mitigation of vapor intrusion sites
and support PRPs and LSPs/environmental professionals in
meeting MCP requirements and bringing these sites to successful
closure. The updated guidance can be viewed on the MassDEP
website at: www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/cleanup/vapor-intrusion-
guidance-10-14-2016.pdf.
REGION 2
NEW YORK - In 2015, an underground storage tank failure at
the Abraham Wing Elementary School in Glens Falls caused tw^
subsurface release of an estimated 500 gallons of fuel oil. The
Glens Falls Fire Company responded and reported the spill to
the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYSDEC) after oil was found in a neighbor's basement sump and
petroleum odors were noticed in the school. The NYSDEC used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to oversee the spill
response, and the removal of a 1,000 gallon underground storage
tank and excavation of contaminated soil. A groundwater treatment
and vapor mitigation system was installed at the impacted
residential property and a vapor mitigation system was installed in
the school. In addition, a multi-well groundwater treatment system
was established on the school property to gain further control of
and remediate the oil plume. Today, the site is in operation and
maintenance status. Through the response and cleanup, the
school's children and employees were protected.
MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of the Environment's
(MDE) Land Restoration Program (LRP) uses the Section 12
Response Program grant to partially fund the ongoing land
use control inspections throughout Maryland. In 2015, the LRP
established a process for conducting land use control inspections
by using the LRP Mapping site database to prepare a summary
report of sites in a specific county with land use controls. LRP
personnel review the list and check the property on the Maryland
State Department of Assessment and Taxation (MD SDAT) website
to determine ownership status. LRP personnel also review the
Maryland Land Recordation website (MDLANDREC.NET) to
confirm that the required land use control documents are recorded
in the land records. Next, LRP personnel select a subset of the
sites to perform land use control (LUC) inspections. If compliance
with the LUCs is found to be an issue, the employee prepares a
letter to the property owner/operator informing them and providing
notice of potential enforcement actions LRP personnel then
perform a follow-up inspection to ensure the required corrections
have been made. Between June 30, 2015 and July 1, 2016,
the LRP performed 187 LUC inspections and conducted six
notifications and follow-up inspections.
REGION 4
KENTUCKY - About 250 individuals gathered in Charleston,
West Virginia, on September 7 and 8, 2016, to discuss ways to
revitalize brownfields at the inaugural Central Appalachian Regional
Brownfields Summit. The Kentucky Brownfield Redevelopment
Program used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to
partner in the organization and promotion of the event. Panelists
discussed funding sources, the reuse of mine-scarred lands, and
how to harness the power of youth. Of particular interest was a
discussion on building community resilience, which was especially
relevant in view of recent floods and the area's continuing
economic disruptions. In order to continue the conversation,
summit planners are developing the Central Appalachian
Brownfields Innovation Network (CABIN), which will have three
main components:
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
October/November/December 2016

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•	The Redevelopment Expert Exchange will match up
communities working on projects with mentor communities that
have successfully completed similar projects.
•	The Front Porch will be an online platform to hold discussions.
•	The Campfire will facilitate broad educational opportunities,
traditional training and educational approaches.
To learn more about CABIN, go to http://brownfieldsinnovation.com/.
Centra!Appalachian Brownfieids Innovation Network (CABIN) members
REGION 5
IvIILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE - The Mills Lacs Band of Ojibwe
is converting former tribally owned wastewater lagoons in Onamia,
Minnesota, into a walleye fish hatchery. The 45-acre property
includes six former wastewater treatment lagoons which had not
been in use since 2004. The tribe used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to provide oversight of environmental assessment
activities and a feasibility analysis to determine if the lagoons could
support fish rearing. The assessment determined that no cleanup
was required; however, structural and water quality enhancements
were made to meet the needs of a fish hatchery. In February 2016,
Mille Lacs initiated a pilot hatchery project with assistance from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By the summer of 2016, the hatchery
produced 1.3 million walleye fry (young fish) to be released into the
lagoons. In late summer 2016,12,000 walleyes fingerlings were
netted and used to stock tribe-owned lakes and other lakes around
Minnesota. The pilot allowed the tribe to gain valuable information
and experience to move forward to a full scale hatchery, while
establishing a valuable relationship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Fishing on Mille Lacs Lake and other stocked lakes in the
region attracts visitors from across the country, and is a source of
food and economic vitality for the tribe and the region.
REGION 6
OKLAHOMA-Built in 1925, the 28,000 square foot former
Gates Hardware Store building is being redeveloped in Tulsa's
Greenwood Historic District. The Oklahoma Corporation
Commission (OCC) used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to provide oversight of assessment and cleanup activities.
During site investigations, the new landowner discovered two
buried 1920s-era tanker rail cars filled with water and crude oil. In
August 2016, rail cars and contaminated soil were removed from
the property through the OCC Petroleum Storage Tank Division
and the landowner received a site closure letter with a no further
remediation requirement. Half of the Gates Building is currently
occupied by an architecture firm with 47 staff members, on the
second floor. The first floor of the property is under renovation and
will be the future home to the Elgin Park Brew Pub.
The redeveloped Gates Building.
REGION 7
KANSAS - A former zinc smelter facility is being redeveloped into
the Pittsburg Town Center through tax increment financing (TIF)
to revitalize a brownfields area in one of the city's key commercial
districts. The city conducted an environmental assessment
that revealed lead and cadmium impacts to the soil. In 2016,
the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Voluntary
Cleanup Program used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to provide technical assistance and oversight of cleanup
activities. Concentrated waste pockets and smelter foundations
were unearthed during excavation of the property. Over 50,000
tons of contaminated soil were removed and environmental use
controls were placed on the property to prevent future excavation.
Redevelopment includes a Home Depot as the anchor store, and
several other retail establishments.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
October/November/December 2016

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REGION 8
REGION 10
SPIRIT LAKE NATION - On October 20, 2016, the Spirit Lake Tribe
used Section 128(s) Response Program funding to conduct cleanup
activities at five abandoned homes in Sheyenne, North Dakota. The
former residential structures are part of a larger complex known
as the Sheyenne Relocatable Homes, which were vacated due to
asbestos-containing materials and their overall poor condition. After
the asbestos was properly disposed of, the homes were demolished
to provide space for much needed new and safe housing. Prior to
cleanup activities, EPA provided technical Targeted Brownfields
Assessment (TBA) support to characterize the buildings and
estimate cleanup costs. The Tribe is now considering applying for an
EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant to address the 20 remaining homes
in the area.
REGION 9
YUROK TRIBE - In Northern California, the Yurok Tribe is
witnessing extensive environmental degradation from illegal
marijuana cultivation on its Reservation lands. The illegal marijuana
cultivation has resulted in unpermitted water diversion, lack of
proper sanitation facilities, pesticide use and/or misuse, illegal
road building and land clearing, and improper disposal of solid and
hazardous wastes. The Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP)
is using Section 128(a) Response Program funding to document
these negative effects, assist in the prosecution of offenders and
protect the environment of the Reservation. The Tribe, along with
multiple other law enforcement and regulatory agencies including
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and CA State Water Resources
Control Board, conducts annual marijuana eradication efforts
on the Reservation. The YTEP hired a dedicated Environmental
Enforcement Officer to enforce tribal ordinances and conduct water
quality sampling on affected waterways.
TANANA CHIEFS CONFERNCE (TCC) - Tanana Chiefs Conference
(TCC) is an Alaska Native non-profit corporation dedicated to
meeting the health and social service needs of tribal members
throughout Alaska's interior. Since receiving Section 128(a)
Response Program funding in 2015, TCC has built significant
capacity among its membership, including support for training and
site-specific work in their region. TCC's Tribal Response Program
(TRP) helps tribes address brownfields in their community or move
brownfields projects along, and is open to all member tribes within
TCC's service region. The TCC brownfields web page (www.
tananachiefs.org/health/environmental-health/brownfields/) hosts the
public record for 29 communities and contains over 150 entries. TCC
collaborated with partners to develop brownfield/contaminated site
outreach specifically for village and regional corporations (the tribal
iand owners), and assisted the villages of Hughes and Northway as
they learned how to navigate site-specific work in coordination with
the state and EPA. TCC also hosted a Small Community Emergency
Response Plan (SCERP) training with participants from eight
villages. By making environmental health an important part of its
mission, TCC is helping to restore healthier environments for all.
t*
TCC environmental health specialist prepares sediment samples at Skate Lake in Northway, Alaska.
united states	CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding October/November/December 2016 EPA-560-F-16-176
Environmental Protection
Agency

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