Cherokee Nation gets $1.3 million for environmental efforts

Announced Thursday, the five-year grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Programs will enable the tribe to conduct 25 Phase I site assessments and 10 Phase II site assessments across northeastern Oklahoma and potentially convert those properties to parks, playgrounds and other community spaces.

A Phase I assessment determines a site’s potential hazards to the environment or human health by using existing information about the property’s current and historical usage, such as records, government databases, visual inspections and interviews of past employees. It typically takes about a month.

If that process indicates known or potential contamination, then a Phase II assessment can be conducted to determine what kind of contamination is present, the concentration levels and how best to clean it up. That process can take three months, depending on what kind of soil or water sampling activities have to be conducted.

“Environmental site assessments are crucial first steps in understanding and addressing potential contamination issues,” Cherokee Nation Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice said. “This grant enables us to take a comprehensive approach to environmental protection while creating new opportunities for community development. Through careful assessment and planning, we can ensure these sites are safely and responsibly repurposed for the benefit of our communities.”

The grant also will enable the development of three cleanup plans and a reuse plan.

Among the priority sites already identified by the tribe for environmental assessments are multiple properties in Skiatook, a 2.4-acre parcel in Bartlesville, a 15-acre undeveloped property near a former cold storage facility in Stilwell and the former jail in the Sequoyah County community of Marble City.

In an email, Justice said the grant terms allow for one site per community each year and that Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs will be reaching out to municipal leaders to identify potential environmental concerns that would limit reuse options.

Plans are underway to have community engagement sessions to solicit public feedback on redevelopment options.

Justice also said the Cherokee Nation will be reaching out to both the Delaware Tribe and the Osage Nation for potential collaboration on remediation projects in Bartlesville and Skiatook, respectively. The Delaware Tribe is headquartered in Bartlesville. Skiatook straddles the boundary between the Osage Nation and the Cherokee Nation.