EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment Supports Community Center Redevelopment in Mountain, North Dakota


EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program
EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment
Supports  Community Center
Redevelopment  in  Mountain,  North Dakota
The City of Mountain, North Dakota is undertaking a significant fundraising campaign to finance the
construction of a new community center. An EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) helped
the community identify contamination and cleanup options for the property.
New Community Center will be an Economic Asset
With almost $1 million leveraged, the City of Mountain, North
Dakota has almost reached its goal of raising $1.26 million
to build a new community center. The population of Pembina
County (where the City of Mountain is located) has increased
significantly over the last few years, and the community center
is a much needed resource to accommodate this growth. The
planned 14,000-square-foot facility will be an asset for the city
and Pembina County by promoting tourism and stimulating
employment and growth. In addition to providing a venue for
special events, the facility will house the Mountain Chalet
Cafe, the Thingvalla Fire Protection District, Mountain Quick
Response, Icelandic Communities Association, Pembina Hills
Lutheran Church, a conference room, and spaces to be leased
for local businesses.
Environmental Assessment Clarifies Cleanup Requirements

In 2004, the City of Mountain received $8,800 in contractual
support through an EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment
(TBA) that was used to identify existing environmental
conditions present in and around the original community
center. The assessment identified several minor, but potentially
hazardous conditions and made recommendations regarding
removal and disposal when demolition of the original
community center occurs. A bulk asbestos survey, also funded
through the TBA, assessed where asbestos was located in the
building and recommended how to best dispose of it.
The city plans to use some of its fundraising campaign
proceeds to clean up the contamination identified through the
environmental assessment. By utilizing a TBA, the City of
Mountain was able to discover and address environmental and
health concerns associated with the original community center
building, which enabled them to move forward with plans to
construct the  new and improved building.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•  Conducted an environmental assessment
   to determine the extent of environmental
   contamination
•  Developed a cleanup strategy
•  Raised nearly $1 million from private and
   public donors
•  Led effective community involvement and
   planning efforts
•  Made significant progress towards
   construction of a new community center

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Fundraising Campaign is on its Way to Making this Project a Reality

Before construction can begin on the new community center, the city must raise enough money to cover the
costs. For a town with less than 150 permanent residents they are executing a noble fundraising campaign,
which has put them very close to their goal. As of November 2008, the town had raised close to $1 million
of their $1.26 million goal from a wide variety of funding sources, such as USDA Rural Business Enterprise
grants, a USDA Communities Facilities Grant, the Government of Iceland (ancestral home of many Mountain
residents), the North Dakota Department of Commerce, and a Pembina County Job Development Grant.

The vision and commitment of the City of Mountain has been instrumental in making the new community
center a reality. By effectively engaging the community, raising funds, and addressing contamination concerns,
the city's efforts offer an example for other communities across the west and rural America.
 LEVERAGED RESOURCES
     More than $525,000 from USDA Rural Business
     Enterprise grants

     More than $151,000 from a USDA Community
     Facilities Grant

     $75,000 from the Government of Iceland

     $50,000 from the North Dakota Department of
     Commerce

     $8,800 in contractual support from an EPA
     Targeted Brownfields Assessment

     $5,000 from a Pembina County Job
     Development Grant

     Several hundred thousand dollars in additional,
     private donations
"With so many young people choosing to live here and becoming
active in our community, it is time to revive our little community and to
build for the future. This new efficient facility will be an asset not only
to Mountain, but also to all of Pembina County. This facility will truly
help to revitalize the city and its surrounding areas."

                       —Tim Moore, Mayor, City of Mountain
 For additional information, please contact:

 Mountain, North Dakota Community Center Campaign (307) 783-6309 • www.mountainnd.com
 EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program: (303) 312-7074 • www.epa.gov/region8/brownfields
                         United States
                         Environmental Protection
                         Agency
        Region 8
        Brownfields
EPA 908-A-09-001
   February 2009

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