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 8 awarded $100,000 to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe on October 1, 2025, through the State and Tribal Response Program Grants (CFDA 66.817) to enhance the tribe's brownfields environmental response capabilities. Under this 12-month award (concluding September 30, 2026), the tribe will establish and strengthen the four statutory elements of an effective tribal response program as authorized under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 128(a). Key deliverables include developing support mechanisms for approval of assessment and cleanup plans, verification of completed responses, and maintenance of an annually updated public record documenting brownfield sites with completed remediation and sites planned for future assessment and cleanup activities.

The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe will utilize the award to conduct targeted brownfield assessment and remediation activities on the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota. Specifically, the tribe will perform Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on two brownfield sites and oversee cleanup activities at two sites (comprising newly assessed sites and sites eligible for cleanup without prior assessment). No sub-awards are included in this agreement. These activities support the EPA Brownfields Program's overarching objective to empower tribal communities to assess, remediate, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties within their jurisdictions.

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 infrastructure investment and jobs act ('IIJA') provided additional funding to carry out the section 128(a) grant program. The purpose of this award is to enhance the capacity of sisseton wahpeton oyate tribe brownfields response program to meet the section 128(a) elements. Sisseton wahpeton oyate tribe will oversee and perform planning, assessment, and cleanup of brownfields sites throughout the state/territory/tribal land with this award. Activities:sisseton wahpeton oyate tribe will perform the following activities: support mechanisms for approval of assessment and cleanup plans, and verification of complete responses. The objective of this project is to assist in remediating and reusing brownfields sites throughout the state/territory/tribal land. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:sisseton wahpeton oyate tribe will assess 2 sites with this award and oversee the cleanup of 2 sites (either sites that have had assessment and/or sites that are eligible for clean-up without assessment).