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/
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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
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