Approximately $2 million has been allocated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the next five years to provide technical support to tribes addressing environmentally contaminated land.
The EPA said on Jan. 11 that Kansas State University would receive the funds to help tribes with technical support around cleaning up these lands, known as brownfields.
KSU is mandated to help tribes across the country identify solutions on assessing and cleaning up brownfields, developing reuse plans and financing options.
The funds will be used to help tribes develop peer networks to share idea about brownfields issues. With KSU’s help, the EPA said, tribes will build tribal response programs to develop integrated approaches to brownfield cleanup and reuse, considering the links between environmental, economic, cultural and social issues.
There are 566 federally recognized tribes within the United States. Each tribe is an independent, sovereign nation, responsible for setting standards, making environmental policy and managing environmental programs for its people.
More information on brownfields is at
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More information on the EPA’s brownfields grants program is online at
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
Information on state and tribal response programs is online at
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-state-local-tribal-information
