Brownfields Assistance Grant Fact
Sheet

Midwest Assistance Program, Inc.

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, tribes, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Under §8001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, EPA is authorized to provide financial assistance to increase the capacity of tribal governments to establish, manage, and administer Tribal Response Programs. Generally, Tribal Response Programs address brownfields on tribal lands, minimize the actual and perceived health risks associated with contamination from brownfield properties, and strengthen partnerships between tribal entities, governmental, and non-governmental organizations engaged in brownfields redevelopment.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

Midwest Assistance Program, Inc., (MAP) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping rural communities and tribal nations find solutions to their infrastructure and development needs through information, resource management, expertise, and technical assistance since 1979. MAP is a member of the nationwide Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) network. RCAP works to revitalize communities through its six regional partners in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

SUPPORT FOR TRIBAL RESPONSE PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT

Grantee
Midwest Assistance Program, Inc.

Project Focus:
Outreach, Training, Research, and Technical Assistance to Tribal Governments

Project Period:
June 2007 to October 2010

Project Description:
MAP will develop a train-the-trainer program, including development and inclusion of a hard copy handbook and CD ROM for tribal governments. The train-the-trainer program is intended to train tribal representatives on how to effectively develop, manage, and administer a tribal response program, and in doing so, equip tribal environmental managers with the skills and guidance needed to train other environmental staff in their respective communities.

In developing the train-the-trainer program, MAP will conduct a needs assessment of a select number of tribal response programs, conduct pilot training workshops based on findings identified in the needs assessment, develop a handbook and training materials for tribes interested in developing a tribal response program, deliver refined and finalized train-the-trainer courses to tribal representatives, disseminate materials developed through the project, and create a nationally replicable model identifying various components of successful tribal-response programs intended to assist tribal governments to focus on brownfields assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment activities in Indian Country.

CONTACTS

For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields or call 202.566.2777.

For further information about the MAP and its brownfields activities, visit www.map-inc.org or call 952.758.4334.

*The information on this fact sheet is subject to change.