If the site qualifies for EPA’s Contaminated ANCSA Lands program, the money will come from an EPA Cooperative Agreement. Refer to the EPA website for details on how to apply for this funding. If the site does not qualify for the EPA ANCSA funding, there are other grants that may be applicable. Reach out to contacts in these programs for assistance:
Will ANCSA village or regional corporations be held liable for pre-conveyance contamination on ANCSA land?
No, on lands conveyed under ANCSA, village and regional corporations are protected from liability under state and federal law for any contamination which was present prior to conveyance.
Will ANCSA village or regional corporations be billed for verification work DEC will conduct?
No, initial site verification activities conducted by DEC will be of no cost to ANCSA village or regional corporations. Once the EPA awards funding for full characterization or cleanup, a portion of that money will be used to cover DEC cleanup oversight.
How long does the cleanup process take?
The cleanup process can take a variable amount of time depending on the extent of contamination and availability of contractors to do the work. Once a site has been approved for EPA grant money and the extent of contamination is known, a better estimate of the timeline could be provided.
What types of contamination will be cleaned up?
This program is intended to address chemical contamination. At most sites, this will be pollutants released to soil and water, such as leaking oil from an old tank farm, or abandoned mine tailings left behind. In some cases, hazardous building materials such as asbestos and lead-based paint will also qualify.
What is the process to verify an ANCSA property is contaminated?
First, DEC will conduct desktop research to confirm ANCSA ownership information. Once a site has been confirmed as ANCSA Conveyed, DEC or an independent contractor will travel to the site and collect soil and/or groundwater samples from the affected area. The samples will be analyzed by a laboratory and the results compared to DEC cleanup levels to determine whether they pose a risk to human health or the environment. If the results exceed the cleanup levels or the site is in need of further assessment and/or cleanup, DEC will recommend pursuing additional funding options to conduct further assessment and cleanup.
Who do I contact if I'm not ready to talk to anyone from the federal or state government?
If contamination is determined to have occurred after ANCSA conveyance, the EPA grant funding will not apply and the entity that caused the contamination is responsible for cleaning it up.
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