The primary objectives of EPA's cercla section 128(a) state and tribal response program grants are to provide financial support to states, US territories, and tribal nations to (1) establish or…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 awarded the Indiana Finance Authority $783,350 under the State and Tribal Response Program Grants (CFDA 66.817) formula grant, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This funding supports the Authority's brownfield response program to establish and enhance Indiana's environmental remediation capacity under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 128(a). The Authority will oversee planning, assessment, and cleanup activities for brownfield sites throughout Indiana while maintaining and annually updating a public record of completed and planned response actions at designated sites.

As a sub-award component, the Indiana Finance Authority will assist the City of Gary through targeted technical assistance activities focused on regulated petroleum underground storage tanks (USTs). Deliverables include conducting desktop and database searches to identify and locate regulated petroleum USTs within the city, and revisiting and updating information for 261 previously documented sites from an existing 2013 database. The Authority will also develop updated brownfield petroleum site assessments and provide training and technical assistance to support Gary's brownfield remediation efforts, consistent with CERCLA Section 128(a) authorized activities to support small and disadvantaged communities.

The primary objectives of EPA's cercla section 128(a) state and tribal response program grants are to provide financial support to states, US territories, and tribal nations to (1) establish or enhance the four statutory elements of an effective state or tribal response program, as specified in cercla section 128(a)(2), (2) maintain and update, at least annually, a public record of sites, pursuant to cercla 128(B), that includes the name and location of sites at which response actions have been completed during the previous year and the name and location of sites at which response actions are planned to be addressed in the next year, and (3) conduct a limited number of brownfield site assessments or cleanups that will help establish or enhance the state or tribal nation's response program. The purpose of this award is to enhance the capacity of the indiana finance authority's brownfields response program to meet the section 128(a) elements. The indiana finance authority will oversee and perform planning, assessment, and cleanup of brownfields sites throughout the state of indiana. Cercla section 128(a) also authorizes activities by the recipient to 'assist small communities, indian tribes, rural areas, or disadvantaged areas in carrying out activities described in section 9604(K)(7)(a) of this title with respect to brownfield sites.' the activities authorized by section 9604(K)(7)(a) are: 'to provide, training, research, and technical assistance to individuals and organizations, as appropriate, to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation.' the indiana finance authority will assist the city of gary by: a) conducting a desktop/database search to determine the number and location of regulated petroleum usts within the city, including revisiting and updating information for the 261 sites on an existing list from 2013. B) developing an updated brownfield petroleum UST inventory of properties with regulated usts and provide pertinent information about each site to the city of gary. Site summaries will include current regulatory status of the usts, tank information (age, size, contents, construction material, etc.), as well as current and/or historical owners/operators of the UST(S) and site. C) if funding allows, completing the same exercise for active and historical dry cleaners on a separate list. Activities:indiana finance authority will perform the following activities: conduct oversight of assessment, investigation and remediation activities at eligible brownfield sites that receive assistance through U.S. EPA and/or state financial assistance, state loans or comfort and site status letters; conduct oversight in review of site investigation and cleanup documents for program sites; solicit public input regarding any U.S. EPA grant proposals IT submits, proposed incentives using federal funding, or changes to the program; encourage community input for projects, and local support for a project, including neighborhood comment/input and demonstration of a coordinated local effort; and review documents submitted for program sites to ensure that the nature and extent of contamination is adequately characterized, as necessary, and that cleanup methods selected are appropriate for the specific contaminants and media affected.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:indiana finance authority will expand public education, technical assistance, and outreach of the idem voluntary cleanup program and brownfields in general through newsletters, a web page, fact sheets, conferences, and project/community-specific meetings or calls. IFA will assess 3-5 sites and/or conduct 1-2 site cleanups. IFA will conduct legal reviews as needed. IFA will also conduct oversite of assessment, investigation and remediation work for 50 sites (or as requested); issue