Brownfields team outlines cleanup plan and funding options for old Carter County hospital; commissioners appoint point of contact

EMDC/EMBC Brownfields staff and environmental consultant Newfields briefed the Carter County Commissioners on the status of a Brownfields subgrant application for remediation of the old hospital site and discussed cost estimates, approvals and next steps.

Carly Laycock, Brownfields program manager for EMDC/EMBC, told the commission that the county’s subgrant application had been received and that EMDC would finish application work with the county. Laycock said the EPA partner automatically runs a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) consultation for every site and that the county would receive a letter stating whether SHPO required additional measures.

Levi McKay of Newfields reviewed prior work on the property. He said Newfields completed a Phase II investigation in 2022 and that abatement-and-demolition cost estimates varied in the records: a Phase II line item showed approximately $301,654 while an ABCA summary previously prepared estimated $219,000 for abatement assuming demolition. McKay said the ABCA’s abatement estimate did not include professional services and that, based on recent bidding trends, updated abatement-and-demolition costs could be closer to $300,000 if the county put the work out to bid.

Laycock explained the Brownfields subgrant program can cover up to $200,000 per site in subgrant funds; costs exceeding that amount would need to be financed through the Brownfields loan program, covered by county funds, or found from another source. County commissioners said they have a budget line item that could absorb costs above the $200,000 cap and favored absorbing excess rather than taking a loan.

Laycock outlined procedural steps and timing: after the subgrant application is complete, EMDC’s steering committee and the EPA project officer must approve the application. That process can take about two to three months. SHPO approval is recommended before the county solicits contractor bids so contractors are not delayed by historic-preservation holds; Laycock warned that the SHPO timeline is outside EMDC’s control. Newfields staff added that licensed abatement contractors are highly scheduled in summer months (school abatement season) and that contractor availability could influence the project schedule.

Commissioner Rod Hawke asked about landfill options for hazardous materials; McKay said the 2022 ABCA identified Miles City Landfill as the documented disposal location but that Newfields would confirm the nearest acceptable landfill and whether local landfills have since become certified to accept hazardous materials, which could change disposal costs.

Commissioner Dan Ditsdorf moved to designate himself as the county’s point of contact for the subgrant; the motion was seconded, and the commission approved the designation by voice vote. EMDC staff asked for minutes or a brief email confirming Ditsdorf as the designated signer for the subgrant paperwork; commissioners said a minutes entry or draft minutes would suffice.

EMDC staff also said the program would prepare community relations notices and advertise the required public comment meeting in the local newspaper and on social media; staff offered to schedule the community relations meeting on a day when the commissioners already hold a public meeting if the county preferred.

EMDC staff and Newfields committed to prepare an updated cost estimate, confirm whether the maintenance shed and boiler room were included in the 2022 materials assessment, and provide the county with next-step checklist items for SHPO, EPA and contractor scheduling.