Tribal Lands Cleanup and Spill Prevention Programs

EPA takes strides to prevent and cleanup contamination and contaminated sites located on or near tribal lands. Our programs work hand-in-hand with tribes to ensure we protect their health and the environment.

Superfund

EPA’s Superfund program implements the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act which provides broad authority for federal program response to releases of hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants. Under certain provisions of CERCLA, the governing body of tribes are afforded substantially the same treatment as states for many response-related purposes, including: notification of releases, consultation on remedial action, access to information, health authorities, and roles and responsibilities under the National Contingency Plan. CERCLA section 104 allows EPA to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible tribes to perform or participate in Superfund-eligible site response activities. (EPA retains final oversight authority.) Learn more about the Superfund Program in Indian country.

Federal Facilities

Tribal governments have distinct roles in cleanups of federal facilities under treaties with the U.S. government. Accordingly, EPA works in partnership with tribal governments, both at the facility level and at the national policy-making level. The framework for EPA tribal involvement is a tribal strategy that is designed to address the needs of—and mitigate impacts to—American Indian tribes, including Alaskan Native villages, living on or near federal facilities. Learn more about tribes and federal facilities.

Brownfields

EPA's Brownfields program provides grants and technical assistance to tribes, states, communities, and others to address Brownfields sites, pursuant to a portion of CERCLA called the Brownfields Law. Competitive grants are available for Brownfields Job Training, Assessments, Cleanups, and Revolving Loan Funds. In addition, Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program noncompetitive funding is awarded on an annual basis to tribes, states, and territories to create new or to enhance existing environmental response programs, which are responsible for developing brownfields cleanup standards and policy and conducting or overseeing the assessment, cleanup, and reuse of brownfield sites within their jurisdictions. Learn more about the Tribal Brownfields Program. Learn more about tribal programs across the country at Brownfields Near You. Lear more about EPA's Land Revitalization Program and broader efforts to put previously contaminated properties back into productive use.

Underground Storage Tanks

EPA implements the underground storage tank program in Indian country. Left unattended, petroleum releases from USTs can contaminate soil, groundwater, surface water, or indoor air. We provide support to tribal governments to prevent and clean up petroleum releases from USTs by:

Providing technical and financial assistance.
Supporting tribal governments to build and improve their UST programs.
Enhancing relationships with tribal partners.
Improving information sharing between tribes and EPA.

Of the more than 570 federally recognized tribes, about 200 have federally-regulated USTs on their lands. Learn more about USTs in Indian country.

Waste Management

EPA encourages environmentally sound waste management practices that promote resource conservation through recycling, recovery, reduction, clean up, and elimination of waste under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The Tribal Waste Management Program provides national policy direction, and partners with the EPA Regions and other federal agencies to assist tribes with the management of their waste. The Tribal Waste Management Program also provides technical assistance, training and funding, facilitates waste program peer matches among tribes, education, and outreach to tribes. Learn more about the tribal waste management program.

Emergency Response and Management

EPA responds to oil spills, chemical, biological, radiological releases, and large-scale national emergencies. EPA also provides additional response assistance when state, tribal, or local first responder capabilities have been exhausted or when additional support is requested. Learn more about emergency response and management.

Oil Spill Prevention

One of EPA’s top priorities is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills that occur in and around inland navigable waters of the United States. EPA’s oil spill prevention program includes the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure and the Facility Response Plan rules. The SPCC rule helps facilities prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. The FRP rule requires certain facilities to submit a response plan and prepare to respond to a worst case oil discharge or threat of a discharge. EPA conducts webinars for tribal audiences on oil spill prevention and chemical emergency preparedness. Learn more about the oil spill prevention and preparedness regulations.