Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Spirit Lake Tribe, Sioux Indian Spirit Lake Reservation, ND

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

CLEANUP GRANTS

$800,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Spirit Lake Tribe for four brownfields cleanup grants. Grant funds will be used to support community involvement activities, develop cleanup plans, and remediate and/or dispose of asbestos and/or lead-based paint contamination at approximately 20 relocatable homes currently staged at 7591 35th Street in the Rolling Hills area; the Old Fort Totten Hospital at 111 Second Avenue; the Old Fort Totten Community Center; and the Saint Michaels Mission School.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Spirit Lake Tribe was selected to receive four brownfields cleanup grants. The tribe's 383-square-mile Fort Totten Indian Reservation, located in a rural area of east-central North Dakota, is home to 4,435 residents. There are five Indian bands, most of whom reside in four community districts and five townships. The unemployment rate on the reservation is 70 percent and nearly 35 percent of families live below the poverty level. Many extended families live together in crowded and, sometimes, substandard housing. Buildings that housed basic community services such as the old hospital, community center, school, and tribal administration building are plagued with environmental problems, including asbestos, lead-based paint, and mold. Tribal resources for addressing issues such as the potential health and safety hazards of brownfields are limited. Cleanup of the reservation's brownfields sites will allow the tribe to productively reuse otherwise compromised buildings and not divert limited resources for new construction.

CONTACTS

For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

EPA Region 8 Brownfields Team
303-312-6803
http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/bfhome.html

Grant Recipient: Spirit Lake Tribe, ND
701-766-1708

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.