United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response(5101) EPA500-F-99-155 June 1999 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ SEPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Spirit Lake Nation, ND Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the Spirit Lake Nation of North Dakota for a Brownfields Pilot. The Spirit Lake Nationhas apopulation of approximately 5,300 enrolled members and an additional non-native population of approximately 1,500. There are five Indian bands within the Nation, most of whom reside in four community districts and five townships. The Spirit Lake Nation area includes 383 square miles of land and is located in the northeastern portion of the state. Nearly 70 percent of the enrolled members of the Nation are under 25 years of age, and the unemployment rate on the reservation is 75 percent. The Pilot targets two vacant buildings—a former boarding school and a hospital—and two landfills in the Fort Totten area. Both of the buildings have large exterior holes from which suspected asbestos contamination is released into the environment. The landfills were primarily used for residential, commercial, and industrial waste in the 1970s and 1980s, but the dumping was unregulated and the landfills are unlined. PILOTSNAPSHOT Spirit Lake Nation, North Dakota Dateof Announcement: June 1999 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets two potentially contaminated abandoned buildings and two unregulated landfills. Contacts: Spirit Lake Nation Tribal Representative (701) 766-4855 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 8 (303) 312-6803 Visit the EPA Region 8 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region08/cross/brown/brownf.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/ ------- OBJECTIVES The Pilot seeks to assess the potential contamination being released from the buildings and at the landfills. The principle goal of the Pilot is to eliminate the environmental threat to the tribe and ensure public safety. Assessment work and other proj ect activities will be conducted under the auspices of a task force composed of technical and non-technical staff. The nation plans to involve and inform the community about the Pilot's status and redevelop the properties to benefit the tribal population. ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of the Pilot include: • Conducting Phase I and II assessments at the four targeted properties; • Developing a redevelopment plan for the four properties; and • Sponsoring community outreach activities about the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of the sites. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Spirit Lake Nation, North Dakota June 1999 EPA500-F-99-155 ------- |