Brownfields Project Conducting Inventory of Petroleum Sites

Oct 20, 2016

AKWESASNE — The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) Environment Division’s Brownfields Project received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to inventory, investigate, and prioritize abandoned and idled petroleum sites in Akwesasne for future cleanup efforts. The Tribe is one of 240 recipients across the country to receive the funding and just one of six in New York State.

“The Brownfield Project helps locate, assess, and clean areas in the community that may be complicated by the presence of a pollutant or contaminant,” said SRMT Brownfields Redevelopment Specialist Julia Jacobs. Jacobs noted, “Brownfield sites can include old family dumps, buildings with asbestos, or places where large amounts of petroleum may have spilled; such as old gas stations that contain buried or above-ground fuel tanks.”

The recent grant will see the Tribe and the EPA entering into a cooperative agreement in an effort to increase Akwesasne’s capacity to respond to petroleum spills that are harmful to natural resources. For tribal communities, being able to identify these contaminated sites and their impact on natural resources holds an added significance; as some resources are commonly used by community members for cultural, medical or historical purposes.

“The presence of a Brownfield site makes it difficult to redevelop, reuse or reinvest in the property without having the pollutants properly removed,” said SRMT Environment Division Director Ken Jock. He added, “This grant will enable us to undertake a community-wide inventory of these petroleum sites and begin planning for future clean up opportunities and funding.”

The Environment Division’s Brownfield Projects is asking abandoned and idled gas station, marina or other owners that offered petroleum products to contact them if they are interested in participating in the project.

For more information, please contact Brownfields Redevelopment Specialist Julia Jacobs by phone at (518) 358-5937 or by email julia.jacobs@srmt-nsn.gov.

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PHOTO CAPTION: The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's Brownfields Project will be inventorying and assessing cleanup priorities of petroleum sites located within four areas of the Akwesasne community.

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The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk People.