McGrath Tribal Council Hall

Site Narrative

• Requested by the McGrath Native Village Council

On Christmas Eve, 2006, a fire destroyed the McGrath Native Village Council’s (MNVC) tribal hall. During clean-up work after the fire, workers discovered a fuel-oil release in the subsurface. They worked with staff from DEC’s Preparedness Prevention and Response Program to complete limited site screening and then requested further assessment to help make the site ready for construction of a new tribal hall. They have secured funds from the Interior Regional Housing Authority for the new hall's conceptual plan and are applying for an Indian Community Development Block Grant for the construction of the new building. The new construction is intended to incorporate green building practices.

The new tribal hall will serve as a community gathering place for the MNVC Tribal members, for meetings and cultural activities. The new building will also hold more space for offices, for both tribal administrators and for other community organizations. The new space will save the MNVC money they have been spending on rent and will allow the creation of new jobs, with the positions to be housed in the new offices.

The scope of this DEC Brownfield Assessment included tank removal and limited soil excavation, and confirmation sampling. The project will also provide additional leveraging for complementary funding assistance for design and construction of the new facility. A cleanup complete determination was issued in April 2009.