Contacts:  

U.S. EPA: Richard Mylott, 720-237-8119, mylott.richard@epa.gov 

Fort Belknap Indian Community: Ina Nez Perce, 406-353-8429, inperce@ftbelknap.org 

Harlem, Mont. (May 12, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Harlem, Montana will receive a $500,000 Brownfields assessment cleanup grant to remove contaminants from several properties targeted for reuse.  

The Fort Belknap Indian Community will use the EPA grant funds to clean up four targeted properties: a former school in Lodgepole, a former Water Treatment Plant, the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Harlem, and the Old Agency Dump on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.  

Plans for property reuse include solar energy production, new tourism opportunities, a disaster response center, and a youth center. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities. 

“EPA is proud to support the cleanup of these abandoned and underused properties so they can be transformed as assets that serve the Fort Belknap Indian Community,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “I applaud the Community Council for prioritizing cleanups that will pave the way for solar energy development and new community amenities that will benefit residents for years to come.” 

“When industries change and communities develop, Montana’s towns and cities are often left to foot the bill on cleanup efforts,” said Senator Jon Tester. “My bipartisan infrastructure law will help to change that by reinvesting in the communities that have been most affected by leftover contamination and pollution. By working across the aisle with five Republicans and four other Democrats, we were able to secure critical funding to repurpose old or abandoned properties in the Treasure State and create good paying Montana jobs in the process.” 

“The Fort Belknap Indian Community Council is extremely pleased to receive EPA Cleanup Grant funding to cleanup four important sites in two communities on the Fort Belknap Reservation,” said Jeffrey Stiffarm, President of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. “The funding will enable the Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes to clean up contaminated properties for redevelopment and reuse.  This unique investment opportunity by EPA will help increase economic development and independence, assist in the creation of solar energy for new housing, increased tourism opportunities, and reuse of properties for a disaster response center and a youth-focused center.”  

The Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justive40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of this announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas. EPA’s Brownfields grants and other technical assistance programs like the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative are also helping to build the clean energy economy. 

Today’s announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with more than $75 million from fiscal year 2022 appropriations.   

The funding includes: 

• $112.8 million for 183 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. 
• $18.2 million for 36 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient. 
• $16.3 million for 17 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. 
• $107 million for 39 high-performing Revolving Loan Fund Grant recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.  

The list of selected applicants is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2022-brownfields-assessment-rlf-cleanup-arc-grants-and-rlf 

Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example: 

• To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.  
• Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements. 
• In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities. 
• Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites. 

Additional Background 

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.     

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).