Please see original article at EPA Region 10 Building On Brownfields Newlsetter

In redevelopment, bigger isn’t always better, Alaska teaches us to let cultural values play role in reuse

Historically, brownfields programs have focused on idle, industrial properties. Add to that the fact that many high-profile brownfield success stories have spotlighted large construction projects, such as retail shopping centers, and the perception may be that brownfields exist only in heavily populated, industrialized cities.

Not so, say the folks at the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). While the larger Alaska cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks have their share of what may be thought of as typical brownfield redevelopments, in rural Alaska, the reuse of a brownfield takes many other forms and is driven by the needs of the Native populations living in these small, often remote communities.

Alaska has 229 federally recognized tribes. These tribes maintain lifestyles and cultural values that closely connect them to the land and its resources. Many communities have limited cash economies and rely heavily on plant and animal resources for subsistence and cultural continuity. They also have a strong spiritual connection to the land.

For all of these reasons, open spaces for subsistence and recreational uses take on an elevated importance that can easily compete with other uses such as mining, timber harvesting, or tourism, says Sonja Benson, DEC brownfield program specialist.

A brownfield site in rural Alaska can pose immediate health and safety hazards as well as occupy valuable space that otherwise could be used for wildlife habitat, berry picking, subsistence hunting, fish and game processing, playgrounds, parks or community gardens. Moreover, because surface-water bodies often serve as the primary subsistence resources for villages, a brownfield located near a lake or river can pose a significant threat to a community’s food supply.

To help tribes deal with brownfields, Benson recently held a one-and-a-half-day training workshop in Bethel, Alaska, on the lower Kuskokwim River, in cooperation with the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP). AVCP serves 56 area villages; nine of these tribal communities were represented at the workshop.

The agenda included general background on DEC, brownfield basics, requesting brownfield funding and assistance from state and federal agencies, spill reporting, best practices for home-heating oil tanks, community mapping and developing a contaminated site inventory.

The program will be expanded and held at least annually in remote “hub” locations across the state to increase access to this information for rural residents, Benson says. DEC also will partner with other programs within the agency, to better provide information on protection of drinking-water sources and solid waste management.

The lesson to be learned from Alaska is that when you think about the possibilities for reusing a brownfield site in your community, let traditional and cultural values play a role in guiding reuse goals. “There’s no limit to the types of projects that can be realized through a cooperative community effort, creativity, and brownfield assistance,” Benson says.

Region 10 contacts
idaho           John Carnahan, john.carnahan@alaska.gov
idaho           Aaron Scheff, aaron.scheff@deq.idaho.gov
oregon           Gil Wistar, wistar.gil@deq.state.or.us
washington           Dan Koroma, dkor461@ecy.wa.gov

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 26th, 2008 at 3:16 pm and is filed under ●Brownfields - Miscellaneous, ●Environmental Agencies.

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