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EPA awards Cheyenne River Sioux $200K for contaminated school property in White Horse

Release Date: 04/20/2010
Contact Information: Daniel Heffernan, 303-312-7074; Richard Mylott, 303-312-6654

New community center part of bright future for site

(Denver, Colorado – April 20, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe a $200,000 brownfields grant to clean up and revitalize the Old White Horse Day School property on Bureau of Indian Affairs Route 4 (White Horse Road).

"Strengthening our nation’s Tribal communities is one of EPA’s top priorities,” said Carol Rushin, EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator in Denver. "This grant will help the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe transform a contaminated property into a community asset that provides new economic opportunities and jobs.”

EPA is providing the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe a $200,000 brownfields grant to clean up the Old White Horse Day School site in the community of White Horse. From 1952 to 1995, the Bureau of Indian Affairs built, maintained, and ran the school. The site is contaminated with metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Following cleanup, the Tribe is interested in constructing a new community building at the site, along with space to house the reservation’s fire truck.

Nationwide, EPA is providing $78.9 million for brownfields projects in communities in 40 states, four tribes, and one U.S. Territory. This funding will be used for the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of properties, including abandoned gas stations, old textile mills, closed smelters, and other abandoned industrial and commercial properties.

In total, EPA is awarding 304 grants through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants programs:

· 188 assessment grants, totaling $42.56 million, will conduct site assessment and planning for cleanup at one or more brownfields sites as part of a community-wide effort.

· 17 revolving loan fund grants, totaling $17 million, will provide loans and subgrants for communities to begin cleanup activities at brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low interest loans for brownfields cleanups.

· 99 cleanup grants, totaling $19.36 million, will provide funding for grant recipients to carryout cleanup activities at brownfield sites they own.

The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites. As of March 2010, EPA’s brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding, and 61,277 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment. Many of these investments target under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, providing for much needed jobs, jumpstarting businesses and reducing environmental and human health risks.

More information on the FY 2010 grant recipients: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

More information on EPA’s brownfields program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

Brownfields success stories: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm