\S3SZ,5 *> cF PR Brownfields 2001 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, OK EPA Brownfields Initiative 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 January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Background EPA has selected the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for a Brownfields Pilot. Tribal lands are located in an eight-county area in northwestern Oklahoma. They include 10,000 acres of tribally owned trust land and almost 77,000 acres of individual trust allotments provided under the Dawes Act of 1887. Nearly 7,300 members of the tribes live on or near the former Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation. The annual income of tribal members is estimated to be $11,000, which is less than half the median income level for the state. The unemployment rate is about 53 percent. The Pilot has identified potential brownfields sites within the former reservation, including four former schools. The Pilot's primary location of interest is the Concho School. The school was constructed in 1908 and contained a hospital and an industrial arts school. Late in the 1920s, the school also began providing training in dairying, farming, auto and farm mechanics, and horse shoe and harness repair. The site has been abandoned since 1982 and is now owned by the tribes. Contamination from medical wastes, pesticides, solvents, PCBs, lead, and asbestos is suspected. Similar types of contamination also are expected at the other schools. The abandoned and run-down condition of these and other potential brownfields properties provides pathways for Vnimsm pvnrtcnrp trv +h*=* r»rvn+cimincitirvn TTip» Pilr»t will Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 04/01/2001 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets three brownfields sites within the former Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation, where tribal members suffer from a 53 percent unemployment rate. 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 6 Brownfields Team (214) 665-6780 EPA Region 6 Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/region6/brownfields) Grant Recipient: Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma (978)345-9602 Objectives The objective of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes is to enhance the quality of life of tribal members residing near the selected brownfields. The Pilot hopes to accomplish this objective by assessing the potential for exposure to contamination and by planning for redevelopment of these historic lands for the economic benefit of the tribes. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Soliciting input from the community through quarterly meetings in the 10 tribal districts and meetings at senior citizen centers; • Prioritizing brownfields and selecting three target sites; • Conducting Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments of target sites; United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-01-282 Apr 01 ------- 11U111U11 ViipVlJUl V UV HIV WX1IU111111UU Vll. 111V A llVlr y»lll _ 1*1 if* * 1 , . , . , ^ • Developing cleanup plans for target sites; and examine the potential sites and target the three , . , , , ,, • j j . • r .1 , • Conducting a redevelopment study tor target considered most viable tor redevelopment. ° sites. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change 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 c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-01-282 _ . . and Emergency . _. Protection Agency Response (5105*0 Apr°1 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |