Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program

About the assistance program

Congress appropriated funding starting in fiscal year 2023 for EPA to establish and implement a grant program to assist Tribal entities in Alaska with addressing contamination on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) lands that were contaminated prior to the time of conveyance. Funding is awarded as cooperative agreements for site assessment and remediation, as well as related community outreach and involvement. Visit Contamination on ANCSA Conveyed Lands for more information about EPA's ANCSA program.

On this page:

Program guidance

The objectives are to provide funding to characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement activities related to these lands, and carry out cleanup activities at ANCSA sites contaminated at the time of conveyance.

Proposals for cooperative agreements are accepted on a rolling basis for a maximum amount of $3M per project with project periods of up to 5 years. As long as funds remain available, EPA expects to extend the closing date of this opportunity.

The Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Agreement Program Guidance describes program background, eligible entities and sites, allowable activities and costs, and outlines proposal required elements.

Eligible Tribal entities

  • Alaska Native Regional and Village Corporations
  • Federally Recognized Tribes in Alaska
  • Alaska Native Nonprofit Associations
  • Alaska Native Nonprofit Organizations
  • Alaskan Inter-Tribal Consortia

Eligible sites

EPA will award funding for site assessment and cleanup provided there is a reasonable basis to conclude it was contaminated at the time of conveyance. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the site:

  1. Was conveyed pursuant to ANCSA.
  2. Was contaminated by hazardous or toxic substances, pollutants, contaminants, or oil at the time of conveyance.
  3. Is on the EPA’s Contaminated ANCSA Sites Inventory.

Check EPA’s Contaminated ANCSA Sites Inventory to determine whether the site is included.

If the site is not included on the inventory, then the applicant must submit a new site for review. If you have general questions or concerns about a site in your community, or whether a site on the inventory is described accurately, please send an email to [email protected].

After a new site is submitted, the submitter will receive a confirmation email. It will then be listed on the Proposed ANCSA Sites Layer of EPA’s Common Operating Picture until it is verified for eligibility by EPA. To be eligible to receive EPA’s Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program cooperative agreements, sites must be "verified" – meaning on ANCSA conveyed land and contamination was present at the time of conveyance.

How to apply

Please contact us before submitting a proposal. We recommend contacting Ken Andraschko ([email protected]), ANCSA Program Coordinator, to set up an initial discussion about site eligibility and proposal development. After that discussion, if the site is eligible, please develop and submit by email a proposed funding request. 

Eligible applicants may submit multiple funding requests for various sites. It may be possible to receive more than one award per entity.

Each funding request proposal must include:

  1. Narrative project description.
  2. Workplan components.
  3. Detailed budget.

The project manager who reviews your proposal will invite your organization to submit a complete application package in grants.gov after completing the initial proposal review process.

Further details on how to apply are provided in the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program Guidance, as well as on grants.gov.

Contacts

For returning or current cooperative agreement recipients: Jeff Estes ([email protected]), 907-271-6558, Contaminated ANCSA Lands Project Manager.

For new applicants: Mahri Lowinger ([email protected]), 907-271-6334, Senior Contaminated ANCSA Lands Project Manager

Proposal development templates and resources

Below are several resources for eligible entities to assist in the development of funding requests. The use of these optional templates may help ensure that all required elements are addressed.

Templates

A. Narrative description

B. Work plan components

C. Detailed budget

Indirect cost guidance

Indirect cost rates help ensure that recipients are compensated for administrative costs incurred under an EPA assistance agreement (e.g., costs for renting space, utilities, accounting services, human resource services). Applicants that have an indirect cost rate should include them in their detailed budget.

Application forms

Application forms for the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program do not need to be provided at the time of submission of initial funding request proposals (narrative description, workplan components, and detailed budget).

The project manager who reviews your proposal will invite your organization to submit a complete application package in grants.gov after completing the initial proposal review process.

The following application forms are typically required when applying for EPA grants. Visit EPA Grantee Forms for copies.

  • SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: This form is required with every grant application.
  • SF 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs: This form is required with every grant application.
  • EPA Form 4700 4, Pre-award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants and Recipients Requesting Federal Financial Assistance: This form is required with every grant application.
  • EPA Form 5700 54, Key Contacts Form: This form is required with every grant application.
  • EPA Form 6600 06, Certification Regarding Lobbying: This form is required for all grants over $100,000.

SAM.gov

For applicants considering this program, please ensure that your organization’s SAM.gov registration and unique entity ID are current.

Grants.gov

If you need to register your organization in grants.gov, please allow up to four weeks to complete registration. For grants.gov support, call or email the Grants.gov Support Center – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected].

Please do not submit federal application forms for the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program in grants.gov until you are provided specific instructions from EPA project managers.

Current recipients

  • Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation: Assess lands impacted by a fuel spill; conduct lead and asbestos testing and abatement at the former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in Utqiagvik.
  • Tyonek Native Corporation: Conduct an inventory, characterization and decommissioning of abandoned drums; clean up remaining petroleum and other surface contaminants on the lniskin Peninsula.
  • Ounalashka Corporation: Remove soils contaminated with PCBs and conduct an initial round of soil and groundwater sampling at a WWII-era warehouse in Dutch Harbor.

For more details, check out EPA’s ANCSA story map (click on "Current Efforts").

Administrative resources and tools

Progress reporting

The Code of Federal Regulations outlines the requirements, which includes:

  • Description of accomplishments measured against work plan commitments (activities).
  • Cumulative effectiveness of the work performed under all workplan commitments.
  • Any problem areas.
  • Suggestions for improving the work plan, including the timeline for making improvements if appropriate.

Grantees typically report quarterly but may negotiate a different reporting schedule with their EPA Project Manager.

There is no required format for a progress report. However, to simplify reporting, below is a template you may use. Please contact your EPA Project Manager for any assistance or recommendations.

SF 425 federal financial report

This form is required annually within 90 days of the end of the performance period. In the last year of the Cooperative Agreement, the SF-425 must cover all cumulative years of the grant and is due 120 days of the end of the performance period. Visit EPA Grantee Forms.

MBE/WBE report

Recipients must complete EPA Form 5700-52A to report Minority Business Enterprises (MBE)/Women Business Enterprises (WBE) utilization under EPA assistance agreements when the combined total of funds budgeted for procuring supplies, equipment, construction or services exceeds the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of $250,000. Annual reports are due by October 30 of each year. Final reports are due by October 30 or 120 days after the end of the project period, whichever comes first. Visit EPA Grantee Forms.

Learn more about EPA's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Requirements.

Procurement of equipment, supplies, and contracts

Procurement standards are described in 2 CFR 200 (links to Code of Federal Regulations).

EPA's Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment

This guide describes the financial transactions covered by the competitive contracting requirements and other rules you must follow when awarding and administering EPA funded contracts. Visit Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements.

Frequent questions about Alaska Native Corporation procurement

Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are unique entities for the purposes of participating in EPA financial assistance programs. The document below will help answer questions on how ANCs and others who may be using EPA grant funds for transactions with ANCs or their subsidiaries can comply with requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 and related EPA guidance.

Grant closeout resources

EPA determines that all projects funded by a grant or cooperative agreement are completed and administrative requirements are met through the grant closeout. Reports required for closeout must be submitted no later than 120 days after the project period end date. Visit Tribal Grant Closeouts in Region 10 for details.

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) resources

A QAPP is a written document that describes your plan for collecting and using environmental data. Grantees that develop QAPPs must obtain approval for the QAPP from EPA (or from states or tribes with delegated QAPP approval authority) before starting environmental data activities. Visit Quality Assurance Project Plans for Tribes in Region 10 to find outlines of the required elements and templates to help you get started.

Technical assistance for applicants and recipients

EPA has funded two technical assistance providers with who are working as partners with EPA in administering the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program:

Other EPA funding for contaminated sites

There are additional EPA grant programs, such as brownfields and/or Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants programs, which may be available to address contaminated ANCSA sites assessment or cleanup.

Region 10 Tribal Programs

Contact Us About Tribal Programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
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Last updated on July 19, 2024