Eastern Montana Brownfields Coalition Program Helps Area Landowners Clean Up

Since 2005, the Eastern Montana Brownfields Coalition has provided landowners in the 15 counties of eastern Montana, including those within the Fort Peck and Northern Cheyenne Reservations, access to EPA grant funds to assess and clean up contaminated properties.

EMBC currently has $2.2 million in EPA funding available to assist landowners that have plans to revitalize or sell their properties but cannot due to real or perceived environmental problems.

Assessment Grant

Assessment grant funds are available to public or private landowners on sites deemed eligible for funding. These funds can be used to complete Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments and to develop Cleanup Plans based on the severity of contamination. Assessments are completed at no costs to the landowner.

Former gas stations, dry cleaners, landfills and buildings containing asbestos or lead-based paint are all potentially eligible for funding.

RLF Cleanup Grant

EMBC has EPA funds to make low-interest loans to remediate contamination on EPA-eligible sites.

Funds are available to eligible local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations, and private landowners.

EMBC has considerable flexibility on the packaging and amortization of loans. Interest rates and terms are often far more flexible than market rates.

Landowners with contaminated property can tap into RLF Funds to pay for the cleanup to get the property sold or redeveloped, and pay back the loan after the property is generating revenue.

To learn more about the EMBC Brownfields program, contact: Eastern Montana Brownfields Coalition; c/o Great Northern Development Corporation; LeeAnn Danelson, Community Development Specialist; 233 Cascade St.; Wolf Point, Montana 59201; 406-281-0383; projectadmin@ gndc.org; or on Facebook.