The primary objectives of EPA's comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA) section 128(a) state and tribal response program grants are to provide financial…

The primary objectives of EPA's comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (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 native village of gakona's brownfields response program to meet the section 128(a) elements. Native village of gakona will oversee and perform planning, assessment, and cleanup of brownfields sites throughout their lands. Activities:native village of gakona 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 their lands. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:native village of gakona will expand public education and outreach of their tribal response program and assess sites for remediation. For FY24, native village of gakona plans on finishing the heinz site clean-up to a point where no further action is required. The team will increase community awareness of gakona's TRP program and brownfield sites, including gakona, chistochina, and mentasta. They plan on increasing their brownfield inventory and update/add to their public record. This will be a priority if gakona's current public record sites have been cleaned up. Gakona will improve environmental health by cleaning up the heinz site and removal or solid/ hazardous waste on their other sites which are potential subsistence areas with ahtna INC's EPA assessment cooperative agreement. Gakona will also work with alaska department of environmental conservation (ADEC) through their brownfields assessment and cleanup (DBAC) program for the bear creek PIT site and use site specific work funds for assessments/clean-up of the bureau of land management (BLM)/fire lookout site. Gakona will also look into more redevelopment ideas for current public record sites.