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MotherEarth

Elizabeth Wakeman

Brownsfield Program Director

Welcome to our new FSST Brownsfield Program 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.

Program

What is the 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.

Intiatives

We will be conducting the following initiatives:

1) 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.

2) Fund TRP staff.

3) Facilitate and Host public information meetings.

4) Facilitate 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.
EPA REQ-1
Lead Hazards

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, click on the Lead Resources Tab below.

Public
Earth Day-1

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the 56th Annual Earth Day Celebration takes place. world-wide. Here at home, Elizabeth Wakeman, Brownfields Director, holds an annual assembly with the students and teachers of Flandreau Public Schools, educating them on how they can make a difference in their own homes and communities. Each student receives one of the FSST Earth Day T-shirts. 

Docs
Links
EPA Region 8 (Mountains and Plains)

EPA Region 8 (Mountains and Plains) is one of the ten regional offices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The region covers a vast and diverse area that includes the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Its headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado.

 
Flathead Basin Commission Flathead Basin Commission is a collaborative organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of the Flathead Basin in northwest Montana, United States. Formed in 1983, the commission consists of representatives from federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as well as stakeholders from various user groups and the public. Its primary objective is to address the complex environmental challenges facing the Flathead Basin, which includes the vast and ecologically vital Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes west of the Mississippi River.
EPA Tribal Science Council EPA Tribal Science Council is a significant initiative by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen collaboration with tribal nations on matters of environmental science, research, and policy. Established as part of the EPA's commitment to honoring the government-to-government relationship with tribal governments, the Tribal Science Council provides a platform for tribal representatives to actively engage in the development and implementation of environmental programs and policies that impact their communities and lands
EPA Compliance Assistance Centers EPA Compliance Assistance Centers are valuable resources provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses, industries, and organizations understand and comply with environmental regulations. These centers serve as one-stop hubs of information, offering expert guidance, tools, and training materials tailored to specific sectors or environmental compliance topics. By providing user-friendly and accessible resources, the EPA Compliance Assistance Centers aim to demystify complex regulations and streamline the compliance process for businesses, thereby promoting environmental stewardship and reducing non-compliance incidents.