CONTAMINATED ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT LANDS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENTS

Congress appropriated funding starting in fiscal year 2023 for EPA to establish and implement a grant program to assist Tribal entities in Alaska with addressing contamination on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act lands that were contaminated prior to the time of conveyance. Grants may be used for site assessment and remediation, as well as related community outreach and involvement. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) included the transfer of 44 million acres to Alaska Native regional and village corporations. Some of these lands were contaminated prior to conveyance (transfer) to Alaska Native corporations from a variety of past activities such as fuel storage, power generation, waste handling practices, mining, and other activities. These contaminants can pose health concerns to Alaska Native communities, impact subsistence resources, and impair cultural or economic activities. The contaminated sites are on lands formerly managed by federal government agencies within the United States (U.S) and then conveyed by the U.S. Department of Interior�s Bureau of Land Management, to Alaska Native Corporations pursuant to ANCSA. These sites were conveyed with pre- existing contamination. EPA is maintaining an inventory of such sites on its Contaminated ANCSA Sites Common Operating Picture. The objectives of EPA�s Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Agreements are to provide funding to: (1) characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement activities related to these lands; and (2) carry out cleanup activities...

EPA�s Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program is administered non-competitively.

Fiscal year 2023: Example projects from FY23 include the following: Assessment of lands impacted by a fuel spill, as well as lead and asbestos testing and abatement at the former Naval Research Laboratory. Conducted an inventory, characterization and decommissioning of abandoned drums; and clean-up of remaining petroleum and other surface contaminants. Removal of soils contaminated with PCB's and conducted an initial round of soil and groundwater sampling at a WWII-era warehouse. Fiscal year 2024: Example projects include the following: Fuel spill assessment and Hazardous Material Building survey of a powerhouse, as well as abatement and removal of asbestos contamination which will be repurposed for critical limited indoor office space. Cleanup of an old vault of contaminated sludge and soil, which will also address the physical risks of having an open 12-foot deep vault with an 18-foot vertical culvert in close proximity to a river relied upon for subsistence and drinking water. Removal of tar barrels and debris exposed from erosion, that were discarded from runway construction in the 1950�s. Inventory, characterization and removal of abandoned drums. Once drums are...