Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Salt River Reservation, AZ

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

ASSESSMENT GRANT

$350,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct community outreach activities, perform Phase I and II environmental site assessments, and develop a cleanup strategy for the 160-acre Feedlot Site located at the north-central portion of the community.

CLEANUP GRANT

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant and a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in south-central Arizona, the SRPMIC (population 8,500) is adjacent to the rapidly growing Maricopa County Cities of Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, and Mesa. Tribal members represent two pre-American sovereign tribes, the Pima and the Maricopa. Unemployment and poverty rates in the tribal community are approximately 20 and 40 percent, respectively. These rates are in stark contrast to those in the neighboring non-tribal communities. The SRPMIC has targeted a 160-acre abandoned, contaminated property, the old Feedlot Site, for assessment and cleanup. Tribal members cannot use the site for agriculture, which is the economic mainstay of the community. At the same time, the health of the community is affected by exposure to the contaminated surface waste and groundwater. Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water in the community. Assessment and eventual cleanup of the site will help resolve the health risks posed by the contamination, address environmental justice issues, and return the property to productive use. The SRPMIC plans to reuse the site for agricultural development that will provide jobs in the community.

CONTACTS

For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

EPA Region 9 Brownfields Team
415-972-3092
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html

Grant Recipient: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ
480-850-8045

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.