Funds will be used by the tribe to hire an environmental specialist to review technical documents, organize community meetings, and serve as a liaison between EPA, the tribal government, and the…

Funds will be used by the tribe to hire an environmental specialist to review technical documents, organize community meetings, and serve as a liaison between EPA, the tribal government, and the residents of the elem indian colony. Several important decisions will need to be made regarding the cleanup and the environmental specialist will ensure that local and tribal input is incorporated into the cleanup decisions. The cooperative agreement also provides funding for cultural resource monitors, which are statutorily required by the national historic preservation act as well as for legal review of key superfund documents. This assistance agreement advances cooperative federalism by partnering with the elem indian colony on the cleanup of the sulphur bank mercury mine superfund sites, which is adjacent to the tribe's reservation. Superfund cooperative agreements are authorized under 40 CFR chapter i, subchapter b, part 35 subpart o. This subpart is issued under section 104(a) through (j) of the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended (cercla) (42 U.S.C. 9601 ET SEQ.). This funding is for a new assistance agreement. This award supports pillars one and three of the great american comeback initiative by advancing hazardous waste cleanup and cooperative federalism, respectively. This is reasonable use of taxpayer dollars and does not duplicate any federal employee responsibilities. This cooperative agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $299,957. See terms and conditions. Activities:funds will be used by the tribe to hire an environmental specialist that will review technical documents related to the superfund cleanup, serve as a liaison between the elem tribal government, tribal residents, and EPA, train and coordinate cultural resource monitors as required by federal law, maintain warning signage, and participate in EPA field activities. Funds will also cover community meetings and legal review of key documents related to the superfund cleanup. This will facilitate local input on EPA cleanup decisions. Buy-in from the local community is integral to the overall success of the project. The cleanup of the sulphur bank superfund site will safeguard human health, improve water quality in california's largest freshwater lake, clear lake, and protect aquatic species of great cultural importance to the tribe.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:there are four goals for this grant: goal 1: building out elem capacity- as the sovereign steward of a portion of the lands subject to remedial action as part of the sbmm site cleanup, IT is essential that the elem indian colony possess the necessary institutional, administrative and technical capacity to be meaningfully involved in the cercla process. The tribe will engage in the cercla process by hiring an environmental specialist to review technical documents and serve as a liaison between EPA, the tribe, and EIC residents. The deliverable for this goal will be comment letters, meeting notes, well maintained signage, log of meetings held in the community center, field logs of cultural resources recovered. Goal 2: community and stakeholder engagement - help lead monthly community advisory group meetings, attend monthly conference calls with EPA project officer to stay up to date on site activity. The environmental specialist will provide regular updates to the tribal executive committee and the EIC community. Deliverables will be agendas, sign-in sheets, email updates, and monthly meetings with EPA. The environmental specialist will attend meetings regarding the site, assisted by the tasc technical advisor and/or EIC attorney and/or tribal leadership, as needed. This participation will ensure that EPA and the public is aware of the tribe's official position with regard to planned activities at the sbmm site, thereby ensuring that site impacts to human health