Brownfields

Brownfields Tribal Response Program

The Brownfields Tribal Response Program (TRP) started in 2008 as an environmental program within the Swinomish Office of Planning and Community Development. Swinomish receives a yearly grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain the program.

What is a brownfields site?
Brownfields sites are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where development, redevelopment, or expansion is complicated by actual or suspected environmental contamination. By investigating and cleaning up brownfields sites, many of which are abandoned areas that may impose an environmental risk to the local community, development can take place with less concern about legal liabilities related to site contamination. This benefits the Swinomish Tribe by bringing jobs to the area, making abandoned property functional, and possibly preserving sites that have historic and cultural significance. For more information about brownfields sites, visit U.S. EPA, Brownfields

Photos of potential brownfields sites on the Swinomish Reservation:

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Timely survey and inventory	Establish a system to identify, prioritize, and survey brownfields sites on the Reservation Review databases and other sources of existing information to identify sites Update existing databases with newly assessed brownfields site information
Environmental assessments	Conduct assessments on potential brownfields sites by trained staff or by hiring a qualified contractor Estimate costs for cleanup for a site Develop a reuse/redevelopment plan for sites taking into consideration the contamination issues
Public record	Update annually, or more often if appropriate Include site locations, responses, and future plans
Public participation	Incorporate brownfields information into current public outreach activities Establish procedure for prior notice and opportunity for public comment as well as a mechanism by which an affected person may request a site assessment be conducted
Cleanup	Create a draft cleanup and verification plan and implement a review process Design a process by which cleanup plans and efforts can be certified and include procedures, documentation, and a step by step process
Oversight and Enforcement	Establish a follow-up inspection protocol to survey any new brownfields sites Research existing environmental oversight and enforcement authorities Develop administrative procedures to assure response actions are conducted in a lawful manner and protect human health and the environment → Learn More

Brownfields Public Record
Information currently contained in the Public Record includes an inventory of brownfields sites on the reservation, completed environmental assessments, and information related to ongoing cleanups. The Public Record is maintained online and updated routinely. For those with limited internet access, the Public Record is also available on an indexed CD in the Department of Environmental Protection office.

Brownfields sites can potentially include:

Abandoned warehouses and industrial properties
Old buildings, factories, gas stations
Open/illegal dumping (particularly involving hazardous wastes such as gas, oil, pesticides, paints, etc).
Drug labs: Materials found at these sites are extremely hazardous; don't investigate yourself. If you suspect a drug lab in operation or discover a location you suspect might be a former drug lab, call the police immediately.
Above-ground or underground fuel storage tanks that are abandoned or suspected to be leaking

A brownfields site is not:

A site that the owner is liable for contamination and that is being used as an open dump
A site where a removal action or cleanup by another organization or agency has occurred or is occurring

Report a brownsfields site
The Swinomish Brownfields TRP can only investigate what it knows about. For this reason, input from the community is crucial. We encourage any information you can provide about potential brownfield sites on the Reservation as well comments on sites we are currently working with. Contact Catey Ritchie, Environmental Manager at the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, (critchie@swinomish.nsn.us, (360) 708-3120) with your questions, suggestions, or comments.

Links

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement RP-96062414 to Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The contects of this site do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned.

Brownfields

CONTACT

To report a contamination concern, please contact Catey Ritchie

Environmental Manager

Catey Ritchie
Phone (360) 708.3120
critchie@swinomish.nsn.us

LOCATION & MAILING

Dept. of Environmental Protection
11430 Moorage Way
La Conner, WA 98257

HOURS

Mon-Wed | 8-6 PM
Thurs | 8-5:30 PM