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 10 awarded $111,249 to the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska under the State and Tribal Response Program Grants (CFDA 66.817) on October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2026. This formula grant funds the enhancement of the tribe's brownfields response program to address contaminated properties across its traditional lands in Alaska. Under this award, the Qawalangin Tribe will conduct timely survey and inventory of brownfield sites—real properties where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by hazardous substances—and maintain oversight and enforcement authorities to protect human health and the environment. The tribe will also establish mechanisms for meaningful public involvement and approval of cleanup plans while maintaining an updated public record of completed and planned response actions.

The award enables the Qawalangin Tribe to perform planning, assessment, and cleanup activities on brownfield sites throughout its jurisdiction. Key deliverables include investigation of reported sites, updates to the site inventory and prioritized sites list, coordination with partner agencies and organizations, and verification of completed responses. No sub-awards are included in this assistance agreement. These activities support the four statutory elements of an effective tribal response program under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 128(a), ultimately facilitating the remediation and reuse of brownfields to support community development and environmental restoration.

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 qawalangin tribe of unalaska's (qawalangin) brownfields response program to meet the section 128(a) elements. Qawalangin will oversee and perform planning, assessment, and cleanup of brownfields sites throughout the tribe's traditional lands. Activities:qawalangin will perform the following activities: timely survey and inventory of brownfield sites, which are properties whose expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous substances. IT also includes oversight and enforcement authorities to ensure that response actions protect human health and the environment; resources to provide meaningful public involvement; mechanisms for approval of cleanup plans, and verification of complete responses. The objective of this project is to assist in remediating and reusing brownfields sites throughout the tribe's traditional lands. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:qawalangin will continue to investigate reported sites and update the site inventory, public record, and prioritized sites list; coordinate with partner agencies and organizations to continue to progress on addressing brownfield sites; meet with community members and provide outreach materials to inform tribal members about the program as well as present information at tribal council meetings; review site closure recommendations to ensure public and environmental safety.