Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

EPA Press Release:

U.S. EPA: Richard Mylott, 303-312-6654

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes: Rich Janssen, 406-883-2888

(Denver. Colorado—May 8, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation as the recipient of $400,000 in Brownfields assessment grants. Today’s announcement is part of $62 million in EPA Brownfields funds awarded to 240 grant recipients across the nation to assess, clean up and redevelop contaminated properties.

"EPA Brownfields grants open doors by helping communities transform blighted properties into public and economic assets," said EPA acting regional administrator, Howard Cantor. "These investments will address contamination and create new opportunities for people to live, play, and do business.”

The community-wide hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct a dozen or more environmental site assessments at properties that have been identified as priorities by the Tribes. These sites include former gas stations, dumps and junk yards, and mill sites where soil and groundwater contamination are obstacles to redevelopment.

There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites in the United States. Under EPA’s Brownfields program, more than 20,000 properties have been assessed, and more than 850 properties have been cleaned up. EPA’s Brownfields investments have also leveraged more than $19 billion in overall cleanup and redevelopment funding from public and private sources. On average $17.79 is leveraged for every EPA Brownfields grant dollar spent. These investments resulted in approximately 87,000 jobs nationwide. When Brownfields are addressed, nearby property values can increase 2-3 percent.

More information on Brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/