Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP)

Alaska has been a mecca for military activity for over 100 years. The NALEMP program is overseen by the US Army Corps of Engineers and funds remediation activities for former military sites on Native American lands. It allows Alaska Native and Native American tribes to investigate and remove hazardous materials from their land and provides valuable employment and skills training to tribal members.

The Native Village of Eyak is currently performing environmental investigations and remediation activities at three sites: Mile 14 of the Copper River Highway, Pt. Whitshed, and Middleton Island. An initial environmental assessment was conducted at Mile 7 of the Copper River Highway, but the land was sold by the Eyak Corporation to the US Forest Service. Soil sampling at Mile 14, Middleton Island, Mile 7, and Pt. Whitshed has revealed a wide variety of contaminants above background and EPA limits that will need to be addressed. As of January 2010, NALEMP has spent/obligated $1,021,145.25 to the Native Village of Eyak.

Click the map below for a larger image of NVE's current NALEMP sites.

NALEMP funding has provided employment and training to tribal members and the community. NALEMP employs temporary, full-time technicians during the summer season, providing valuable experience in the environmental remediation field. In addition, NALEMP funding has provided HAZWOPER training and asbestos clean-up training to employees, building valuable, high-paying job skills.

For more information on all these activities, visit the links to the left, or download the NALEMP overview.