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Native American Lands Environmental
Mitigation Program

The Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP) was developed and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). NALEMP addresses environmental impacts from past military activities on Indian Lands.

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The objectives and goals of NALEMP are to:

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  • Address environmental impacts from past military activities including debris removal, hazardous substances (e.g., asbestos, lead based paint) survey and removal and non-hazardous materials surveys and removal.

  • Maximize tribal participation in the clean-up process by working in a government to government relationship with DoD.

  • Mitigate concerns that are not addressed under the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program.

  • Prioritize site cleanup and assessment based on impacts to subsistence and recreational activities, and community safety concerns.

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The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska recently completed our eighth NALEMP cooperative agreement (CA). Under the NALEMP CA for fiscal year (FY) 2018, the Tribe

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  • Evaluated four electrical transformers at Fort Schwatka for the presence or absence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a man-made group of chemicals that were widely used in electrical equipment and documented the presence of recently discovered transformer vault.

  • Prepared a debris removal work plan for Pyramid Valley. The debris removal will be addressed in a future CA.

  • Removed 385 cubic yards of debris in Unalaska Valley from debris piles on E Broadway Avenue.

  • Updated the Tribe’s Strategic Project Implementation Plan (SPIP) which acts as a living document detailing environmental impacts and mitigation priorities.

Screw Pickets (aka Rommel Stakes) on Hog Island.

The period of performance for the current CA (FY 2020) recently started. Tasks to be completed during the current two-year period of performance include:

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  1. Conduct project management and coordination activities.

  2. Remove 440 cubic yards of military debris from Unalaska Valley from areas on East Broadway Avenue.

  3. Update to the SPIP to include new priorities and mitigation approaches.

  4. Complete a Rommel stakes (screw picket) survey of Unalaska and Amaknak Islands.
     

The Tribe is currently looking for community support in identifying the location of Rommel stakes (screw pickets) to better inform our future work. Please let us know where you have seen these hazards. Please contact Elise Contreras, the NALEMP Coordinator, at elise@qawalangin.com. Pictures and location information is most helpful.

External Resources:

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