Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

Belle Fourche, SD

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANT

$159,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Belle Fourche for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to identify, inventory, and assess potential brownfields properties in the city, and to conduct five to ten Phase I environmental site assessments and up to three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Belle Fourche was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located on the northern rim of the Black Hills of western South Dakota, Belle Fourche (population 4,577) once was a cattle and agricultural hub. Following the Black Hills gold rush of 1870, farmers and ranchers flooded the area. By 1895, Belle Fourche was shipping over 2,500 carloads of cattle per month, making it the world's largest livestock shipping point. More recently, the city's agricultural economy has declined. Today, bentonite mining and processing companies are Belle Fourche's largest industries. The city's median household income is only 64 percent of the national average. Numerous brownfields sites have been identified in the city, particularly in the riverfront walkway and bike path redevelopment area along the Belle Fourche River and in the aging downtown business district. The assessment of brownfields is the first step toward creating the planned riverfront walk and bike path, which is envisioned as an alternative means of transportation and as a greenspace. When brownfields are revitalized, they will be used for new commercial and residential development. Brownfields redevelopment will create community pride, increase the tax base, generate jobs, and create a viable business district and safe recreation areas.

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
303-312-6757
http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/bfhome.html

Grant Recipient: City of Belle Fourche, SD
605-394-1706

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