Q \ Brownfields 2005 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
/ Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, L 'Anse Indian Reservation,

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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
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.
Community Description
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) was
selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants.
The KBIC, the second largest tribe in the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan, is located on the LAnse Indian Reservation.
The reservation is located primarily within Baraga
County, with small parcels in Marquette and Ontonagon
Counties. The total population of the three counties is
80,969. There are 3,208 enrolled members of the KBIC,
of which more than 800 live on or near the reservation
and another 800 live in Baraga and the adjacent counties.
Although Baraga's economy has benefitted from the
success of the Keweenaw Bay gaming activities, the
unemployment rate for tribal members living on the
reservation is still more than 19 percent. The Tribal
Employee Office documents a 28 percent rate of
unemployment. Twenty-eight percent of KBIC
households live below the poverty level, and only 30
percent have high school diplomas. Assessment of the
area's brownfields sites will help the KBIC address the
potential contamination of its natural resources, including
its drinking water supply, and the associated health risks.
It also will help the KBIC achieve the goals of its
Integrated Resource Management Plan by helping prevent
future pollution on tribal properties and providing a first
step toward cleanup and reuse.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community for two brownfields assessment
grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
used to conduct Phase I and Phase II
environmental site assessments, and perform
community outreach activities. Petroleum funds
will be used to conduct the same tasks at sites with
potential petroleum contamination. All sites
targeted for assessment are located in the counties
of Baraga and Marquette in Michigan's Upper
Peninsula.
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 5 Brownfields Team
(312) 886-7576
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfiel ds)
Grant Recipient: Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community,MI
(906) 524-5757 ext 18
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-05-095
May 2005

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