\ Brownfields 2011 Assessment and Revolving
Loan Fund Grant Fact Sheet
Bear Paiv Development Corporation of Northern Montana
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. In 2002,
the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed to help states and
communities around the country cleanup and revitalize
brownfields sites. Under this 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.
Community Description
The Bear Paw Development Corporation of Northern
Montana was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants and a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The Bear Paw Development Corporation plans to
focus on five counties (population 33,976) in
north-central Montana, where there are an estimated 275
leaking underground storage tank sites, eight reported
methamphetamine labs, and numerous abandoned mines.
Agriculture has historically been the strongest industry in
this region, but the agricultural industry has declined by
18 percent over the last 30 years, and many family farms
have failed. Median household incomes in the five-county
region are lower than the state and national averages, and
18.7 percent of residents live below the poverty level.
Almost 24 percent of residents are Native Americans.
Assessment of brownfields will help to alleviate
uncertainty about sites, and facilitate site cleanup and
redevelopment. Cleanup and redevelopment conducted
through the RLF grant are expected to revitalize
communities by reducing health risks associated with
contamination, increasing tax revenues, and encouraging
interest in property investment. The Corporation plans to
redevelop some sites as greenspace and a park for
residents.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Bear Paw Development
Corporation of Northern Montana for two
brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
perform six Phase I and four Phase II
environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant
funds will be used to perform six Phase I and five
Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to develop cleanup plans
and support community outreach activities.
Revolving Loan Fund Grant
$600,000 for hazardous substances
$400,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Bear Paw Development
Corporation of Northern Montana for a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant
will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund
from which the Bear Paw Development
Corporation of Northern Montana will provide
loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities
for sites contaminated with hazardous substances
and petroleum. Grant funds will be used for
marketing, management, and community outreach
activities.
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
(http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).
EPA Region 8 Brownfields Team
(303)312-7074
EPA Region 8 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region8/bro wnfields)
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-128-109
May 2011
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Grant Recipient: Bear Paw Development
Corporation of Northern Montana
406-265-9226
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been
negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this
fact sheet are subject to change.
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-128-109
May 2011
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