Brownfields Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
	Date of Announcement: May 2000 Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Crow Nation targets the Big Horn Carpet Mill in Crow Agency for site assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment.

BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the Crow Nation for a Brownfields Pilot. The Crow Indian Reservation is located in southcentral Montana and includes portions of Yellowstone and Big Horn counties. The reservation proper, which includes 3,521 square miles, has a distinct rural character and is home to several small communities, including Crow Agency, Garryowen, Lodge Grass, Wyola, Fort Smith, St. Xavier, and Pryor. Population on the reservation is estimated at 10,000 (approximately 8,000 tribal members and 2,000 non-tribal members), and unemployment on the reservation is estimated at 70 percent in the summer months and 80 percent in the winter months.

The Big Horn Carpet Mill Redevelopment Initiative- the focus of the Crow Nation Pilot-is located wholly on tribally owned trust lands, located in Crow Agency. The Big Horn Carpet Mill commenced production in April 1968. Known contaminants used at the site included chemical dyes, glues, and mixtures of chemicals used to manufacture and treat carpets, as well as cleaning solvents for the machinery in the factory. Additionally, there may have been other chemicals used at the site that may presently pose health threats. Since the site was abandoned in 1974, it has been a nuisance and a threat to public health. There are no fences surrounding the immediate property, allowing children to play unsupervised in and around the building.

OBJECTIVES

The Crow Nation's goal is to conduct investigations and sites assessments to determine the composition of the contaminants on the targeted property and the extent of their migration into the surrounding soil and groundwater. This will allow the Nation to develop plans for converting the property into a productive community-based facility that would house the Crow Vocational Technical Center and the Crow Arts and Crafts Heritage Center, furthering education and arts and crafts and minimizing unemployment on the reservation.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting Phase I and II assessments in order to identify all hazardous substances in the soil, surface water, and groundwater at the Big Horn Carpet Mill;

• Assessing human health and environmental risks;

• Soliciting community input and support;

• Conducting public awareness/outreach activities;

• Developing an effective, affordable, and sustainable long-term remedial design, including establishing culturally appropriate plans for redevelopment and reuse of the Big Horn Carpet Mill property;

• Identifying potential funding sources; and

• Developing estimates for cleanup costs for the Big Horn Carpet Mill property.

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

CONTACTS

Crow Agency
Natural Resources
(406) 638-2601

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 8
(406) 457-5018

Visit the EPA Region 8 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/bfhome.html

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