Brownfields Program
A Brownfield is defined by Federal EPA as property that may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant for expansion, redevelopment or reuse. FSST Brownfields Program's mission is to empower our Tribal Community and other stakeholders in environmental protection working together in a timely manner to educate, prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. We work to provide technical assistance for brownfields by assessing reported or potential sites. Our goal is to collaborate and communicate essential cleanup and reuse information with other community entities including our Tribal leaders together creating a cooperative. This in turn will enhance Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s community longevity and quality of life. Elizabeth Wakeman, Brownfields Program Director would like to welcome you to the New FSST Brownfields Program website page. Please take your time and review our page. See the Contact Us section below to give any ideas, ask questions or give comments to help our site become more helpful for our community environment. We hope to be joined by the entire community in our work to locate and remove what contamination may already be there and to prevent further contamination from taking place.
You can help us in our work by letting us know places where waste has been dumped, pesticide or chemical containers have been stored or disposed of, or other potential contamination may have taken place; even if it was many years ago. You can anonymously notify us by entering the information on the comment page be sure to list when, where and who may have illegally dumped contaminates and we will assess and clean up the site. You may also contact our Tribal Response Program for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe by phone. Elizabeth Wakeman, Program Director for the Brownfields Program, can be reached at 605-997-3891 ext 1011.
We will be conducting the following initiatives:
- The Tribal Response Program (TRP) will be surveying the FSST reservation to identify and inventory potential Brownfield sites, then determining if any of the sites need to be professionally assessed for possible cleanup to remove contamination.
- Fund TRP staff.
- Host public information meetings.
- Facilitate the drafting or updating of a solid & hazardous waste code.
The entire Tribal community is affected by how clean and safe the lands of our reservation are—or are not.
EXAMPLES OF BROWNFIELDS INCLUDE:
- Abandoned homes and trailers that may contain asbestos or lead-based paint.
- Meth lab site.
- Commercial or industrial sites that may have chemical contamination (auto-repair shops, gas stations, etc.).
- Sites where pesticides or herbicides are stored.
- Landfills or dumping locations for garbage, whether official or unofficial, active or closed.
- Mine-scarred lands.
- Any site suspected of possible contamination by one or more hazardous substances.
As Program Director Elizabeth Wakeman will have five “elements” of duties with this program:
- Public Record
- Survey & Inventory
- Oversight and Enforcement
- Public Participation
- Approval and Verification of Cleanup Plans
Lead hazards
Learn about lead hazards and how to protect your family from potential exposures.
- For information on the basics of lead, where it is found, the health effects, how to lower your chances of lead exposure, and much more, visit this EPA website: Learn About Lead.
- To educate yourself about 1) sources of lead in your home, 2) how to make your home lead-safe, and 3) how to protect your children from lead hazards, visit this EPA website: Protect Your Family Exposures.
- If you are planning to renovate or demolish a structure that may have lead-based paint, please contact your Brownfields coordinator (enter your email here) learn about available resources and visit EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program website for additional information.
