Brownfields Program
There are 574 federally recognized tribes within the United States. Each tribe is an independent, sovereign nation, responsible for setting standards, making environmental policy, and managing environmental programs for its people. While each tribe faces unique challenges, many share similar environmental legacies.
Environmental issues and responses in Indian country range from:
- developing basic administrative infrastructure to passing new ordinances and laws;
- controlling illegal open dumping to developing emergency response plans;
- abating and removing leaking underground storage tanks to addressing methamphetamine response and cleanup; and
- addressing air pollution to the cleanup and reuse of contaminated land.
Tribes use Section 128(a) Tribal Response Program funding for a variety of activities. Tribal response programs conduct assessments and provide oversight at properties, create codes and ordinances, develop inventories of properties, and educate their communities about the value of protecting and restoring tribal natural resources and community health.