Alaska department of environmental conservation (adec) will assist EPA to achieve IT's alaska native claims settlement act (ancsa) objectives through the work conducted under this project

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $7,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) under the Congressionally Mandated Projects program (CFDA 66.202). The funding will support ADEC's efforts to assist the EPA in achieving objectives related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

Key activities funded under this Cooperative Agreement include: hiring up to 4 new staff to conduct ANCSA-related work; developing guidance and standard operating procedures; coordinating with Alaska Native Corporations on site access, investigations, and eligibility assessments; and conducting desktop reviews and site assessments to verify the status and eligibility of reported contaminated sites for EPA cleanup funding. ADEC will also regularly submit site data to the EPA's Common Operating Picture to ensure up-to-date information is available to stakeholders. The project aims to increase ADEC's capacity to support future ANCSA-related environmental cleanup efforts and improve reporting to Congress on outcomes. The anticipated completion date for this 4.75-year Cooperative Agreement is June 30, 2028.

Adec will increase the adec contaminated sites program's capacity to conduct work specific to ancsa sites and issues, review and verify existing information on already identified sites, and make substantial progress towards assessing eligibility of all reported sites to prepare for cleanup.activities:adec will develop workplans for each year of the cooperative agreement (CA) outlining the activities, deliverables, and time frame of work to be conducted that year. Adec will submit a budget every year outlining spending plans. If supplemental funding becomes available and necessary, adec will develop an addendum to the statement of work and supplementary budget to utilize that funding. Adec will recruit and hire up to four new staff to conduct ancsa-related work. Adec will develop standard operating procedures and guidance documents for dedicated ancsa staff as well as other contaminates sites staff on how to conduct outreach to alaska native corporations (ancs), site eligibility for EPA assessment and cleanup funding, and other topics. Adec will develop criteria for prioritizing sites for verification and assessment work in consultation with the EPA. Adec will collaborate with EPA, the alaska native health consortium (anthc) and the alaska native village CEO association (anvca) as appropriate to establish outreach protocols and conduct outreach activities. Adec will contact ancs which own potentially eligible sites and provide information about their rights and responsibilities. Adec will coordinate with ancs on the timing and order of contaminated site investigations on each ANC's land. Adec will engage each ANC to obtain site access, learn more about site history, and identify local concerns. Adec will complete desktop review of all active ancsa contaminated sites to propose eligibility status for liability protection and cleanup funding and identify the type and extent of information needed for verification. Adec will review information about potential new sites as they are identified by ancs, adec contaminated sites program (CSP) site managers, or other sources of information to determine if they meet eligibility requirements. Adec will conduct site assessment activities, including site visits, sample collection, etc., as needed to verify location, contamination status, and other key information of reported sites. This work may be done by CSP staff or contractors. Adec or its contractors will produce reports appropriate to the level of assessment completed, and adec will review all reports. Adec will promptly submit updated data to the EPA common operating picture for distribution to ensure that agency partners, ancs, and the public have access to current site status. Adec will develop lists of priority sites for each year to be included in the annual workplan in consultation with the EPA.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:anticipated deliverables include: draft and final annual workplans, including budget; BI-annual progress reports; final versions of guidance and job-aid documents; outreach and coordination section of BI-annual progress reports; data submitted to the common operating picture through protocols to be determined in consultation with EPA; summary of progress in BI-annual report; list of priority sites in the annual workplan. Outcomes expected include DEC being more capable of supporting future ancsa cleanup work, the EPA common operating picture being more robust and up-to-date with the most recent site data, and the ability to report on outcomes of the project to congress. The intended beneficiaries are all federal and state partners, and alaska native communities.