Kawerak, Inc. and Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council are selected for $596,000 in EPA Brownfields redevelopment funding
Funds will be used to conduct assessments and cleanup planning in support of rejuvenating formerly contaminated properties in Alaska Native Villages
Kawerak, Inc. and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council have been selected for funding under EPA’s Brownfields Assessment Grant program. Kawerak and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council will be awarded $300,000 and $296,533, respectively, in funding for their projects, following the submission of comprehensive work plans.
In EPA’s Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) a total of nine projects have been selected to receive nearly $4.1 million in EPA Brownfields funding. Nationwide, 151 communities have been selected to receive grant awards totaling $66.5 million in EPA Brownfields funding. Brownfields grants often spark robust local and regional redevelopment campaigns, helping to build stronger neighborhoods and spurring local economies.
Michelle Pirzadeh, EPA Acting Regional Administrator in Seattle, is pleased to announce the agency’s most recent round of Brownfields investments in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. “It’s really all about our tribal, state and local partners,” Pirzadeh said. “They have enthusiastically embraced Brownfields redevelopment and its positive community impact. Time and time again, we see how strong local leadership coupled with the infusion of federal funds can breathe new life into idle properties.”
According to Melanie Bahnke, Kawerak President, “As stewards of the land, the Indigenous people of the Bering Strait region live a subsistence way of life by hunting, fishing and gathering year-round. Our connection to the earth is an essential part of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Kawerak is pleased to accept the EPA Brownfield funding to protect the health of our land and people.”
According to Birgit Hagedorn, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council Brownfields Coordinator, “The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council is excited to work with these communities on Phase I and II assessments towards restoring their contaminated land. This opportunity is aligned with YRITWCs overarching mission to keep the Yukon River water clean."
Alaska selectees:
EPA has selected Kawerak, Inc. for a $300,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop an inventory of sites and conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup and reuse plans and support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will target the Villages of Savoonga, Koyuk, Golovin, and Elim. For more information about this project, contact Anahma Shannon, Environmental Program/Natural Resources Division, Kawerak , 907-443-4249, [email protected].
EPA has selected the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council for a $296,533 Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct up to three Phase I and one Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will target the Villages of Russian Mission, Huslia, Alakanuk, and Grayling. For more information about this project, contact Birgit Hagedorn, Brownfield Coordinator, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, 907- 258-3337, [email protected].
EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding to carry out a range of eligible assessment and cleanup planning activities within a proposed target area, such as a neighborhood, neighboring towns, a district, or a shared planning area. Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way communities address and manage contaminated property.
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EPA’s Region 10 serves communities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and 271 Tribal Nations. Learn more about EPA’s work in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest at: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-10-pacific-northwest.
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