Belcourt, N.D. (May 25, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians will receive a $1 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The EPA funds will be used to clean up the main hospital located on 14 acres of the 600-acre San Haven complex in the City of Dunseith, North Dakota.  

“Turtle Mountain has an established track record of putting EPA Brownfields funds to productive use,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to seeing the cleanup of the main hospital building in Dunseith and its revitalization for the use of the community.” 

“Remediating sites contaminated by hazardous substances and returning them to productive use is a win-win for our communities,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will help create new opportunities at currently unusable locations.” 

These funds are part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites while advancing environmental justice through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant programs. Thanks to the historic boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding is the largest ever awarded by EPA’s Brownfields MARC Grant programs.   

“We are grateful for the EPA Brownfields grant to address the main hospital building at the former San Haven Sanitarium,” said TMBCI Chairman Jaime Azure. “San Haven is one of our most critical safety and environmental hazards. We look forward to cleaning this challenging property and reusing it as a heritage park in the near future.”  

The Tribe will use the EPA funds to clean up the main hospital at the San Haven Complex which is contaminated with asbestos, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls, which affect building materials, soil and water. The buildings have been severely vandalized and salvaged and are in poor condition with extensive asbestos and loose lead-based paint commingled with debris. The currently vacant site operated as a tuberculosis sanitarium and state hospital from 1909 through 1987 and is contaminated with various hazardous substances.  

After the buildings have been cleaned up, demolished and properly recycled and disposed, the Tribe plans to redevelop the San Haven site as new housing and an RV park and campground for tourists.  

Background  

Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever begin to address the economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.  

EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 84% of the MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include historically underserved communities. 

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged more than $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leverage an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar. 

More on Brownfields Grants.   

More on EPA’s Brownfields Program.