Description: The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 included the transfer of 44 million acres to Alaska Native regional and village corporations. Some of these lands became contaminated prior to conveyance (transfer) from a variety of activities such as fuel storage, power generation, waste handling practices, mining and other activities.
These contaminants - which include but are not limited to arsenic, asbestos, lead, mercury, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and petroleum products - can pose health concerns to Alaska Native communities, impact subsistence resources and slow economic activity.
In the fiscal year 2023 omnibus bill, Congress appropriated $20 million for EPA to establish and implement a grant program to assist Alaska tribal entities with addressing contamination on ANCSA lands that were contaminated at the time of conveyance. These grants may be used for assessment and remediation of the contaminated sites, as well as related community outreach and involvement.
Copyright Text: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Coast Guard, United States Air Force, Federal Aviation Administration, United States Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency