Tester Secures $1 Million for Site Cleanups in Northern Montana

Funding comes from the Senator’s bipartisan infrastructure law

As a direct result of his bipartisan infrastructure law, U.S. Senator Jon Tester secured $1,000,000 to support environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment projects with a focus on Havre, Box Elder, and Glacier County. These investments come as part of the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs, which Tester bolstered through his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Tester worked with five Republicans and four Democrats to negotiate the IIJA and was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote for the bill.

“Too often, folks in Montana suffer the lasting impacts of toxic waste – and the Brownfields in Havre, Box Elder, and Glacier County critically need these cleanup projects,” said Senator Tester. “This funding is a big opportunity to boost economic development and improve quality of life. I’m proud to have secured this funding through my bipartisan infrastructure law, and I will keep pushing for more cleanup projects across our state.”

The funding will be allocated as follows:

• $500,000 for Bear Paw Development Corporation to assess environmental contamination at targeted properties in Havre and Box Elder, Montana.
• $500,000 for Sweetgrass Development Corporation in partnership with the North Central Montana Economic Development District (NCMEDD) to assess five priority sites located in Browning, Sunburst, and East Glacier Park, Montana.

Tester secured significant wins for Montana in the IIJA, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways and bridges; $2.5 billion to complete all authorized Indian water rights settlements; $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $65 billion to deploy broadband to areas across the country that lack internet access and additionally make online connectivity affordable; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. Tester also worked to ensure that all iron, steel, and construction materials used for these projects must be made in America.

A full list of Montana provisions in Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure law can be found HERE.