SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Keeping a building up to safety standards and taking a sip of uncontaminated water are two examples of hazard mitigation projects supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But protecting these efforts in South Dakota became more difficult after a recent cut in federal funds.
In April, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem cut nearly $10 million in FEMA grants for South Dakota under a program called Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC.
Under FEMA oversight, BRIC supported hazard mitigation plans and infrastructure projects proposed by states, local and territorial governments, and tribal nations. The program first began in 2021.
Noem called BRIC “wasteful and ineffective” in a news release from DHS in April, and cut billions of dollars worth of aid around the country. At least 14 statewide BRIC grants were terminated, according to a federal spending cut document from the South Dakota Bureau of Finance and Management (BFM).
In May, Noem testified on Capitol Hill about recent DHS actions, and said it’s her goal to fix a “broken system” within FEMA. Noem said the Trump administration would like to give control back to states on how to deal with natural emergencies.
According to a FEMA news release, the remaining $882 million from BRIC will return to the U.S. Treasury or be reallocated by Congress. All national applications from the fiscal years of 2020 to 2023 will be canceled, according to the release.
Now, with the end to BRIC, many South Dakota projects must find new funds from other sources.
Mobridge Drinking Water: Funds Down the Drain
The city of Mobridge lost the most money out of the other South Dakota grants, with nearly $4 million terminated for a planned project on the city’s water intake.
Mobridge city administrator and finance officer Heather Beck called the BRIC cut “extremely disappointing.”
“We just were pretty devastated by the loss of the BRIC grants and hope that the federal government will reexamine the cuts,” Beck said.
Since the 1950s, the city of Mobridge pumps and treats water directly from the Missouri river, Beck said.
“The city of Mobridge has some of the best water quality in the state of South Dakota,” Beck said. “We’re very proud of our water.”
But as Beck said, the concrete and pipes of the water treatment plant need structural rehabilitation. The city’s been working on an $11.2 million water infrastructure project, Beck said, which includes redoing the water plant, building a new groundwater storage tank, and more.
To be eligible for BRIC funds, the city went through an approved hazard mitigation plan, Beck said, and received the BRIC funds through Walworth County.
According to Beck, Mobridge was the first in South Dakota to receive a BRIC grant.
“We were pretty excited when our application was even approved because at the time we felt it was a long shot,” Beck said.
The water intake project features two phases, according to Beck, and some BRIC money already trickled into the project before cancellation.
In the city’s phase one plan, the BRIC funds supported engineering efforts, where a dive team surveyed the pipes in the river. The cost was about $380 thousand, according to Beck.
Phase two was the actual reconstruction project, Beck said, with a total cost around $3.3 million. Of that total cost, the city would pay 20%, according to Beck, leaving around $2.7 million for BRIC funding. But now, that money is washed away.
“Now, we are back to the drawing board to figure out what we’re going to do, where we’re going to get additional funding to make up this $2.7 million,” Beck said.
Beck said the city continues to research and plan for other funding sources, and the city reached out to Senator John Thune’s office and Representative Dusty Johnson’s office for assistance.
For now, Beck said the city must significantly increase what people are already paying for their water services, which she said was a “hard part of it.”
The city of Mobridge supplies water to its population of 3,200 people, as well as outskirt communities and farmers, according to Beck.
Rapid City Requests Funds to Return; Trusts Administration
The second highest cut affects Rapid City, with over $2.6 million terminated for the city’s proposed infrastructure projects.
Mayor Jason Salamun said the city hoped to improve infrastructure around the city in the case of a natural disaster. For example, the city wanted to update fire codes, inventory of substandard housing, software programs, and more, Salamun said.
“The mission is to prepare and equip our communities to be ready in case something like a natural disaster or something like that happens, and we want to make sure that we are prepared,” Salamun said.
In a letter to the South Dakota congressional delegation, Salamun requested elected leaders to consider continued funding for the BRIC grant and how it aligns with the priorities of the Trump administration. Salamun wrote the following in one passage of his letter:
“… Our project was specifically designed to enhance operational efficiency within our local government, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars and reducing administrative burdens for both city staff and the general public, including housing developers…”
Jason Salamun, Mayor of Rapid City
Despite the loss of funds, Salamun said he still has hope for the future of these projects.
“I greatly appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts, in terms of utilizing taxpayer money in a way that is most effective and efficient, and we certainly share that goal here in Rapid City,” Salamun said. “So, when it was available, we certainly wanted to go for it. Now that it’s not, we’ll shift gears.”
Salamun said the city will consider other avenues of funding, including the city’s budget, to address the community’s needs.
“I trust the Trump administration and I trust the Secretary of Homeland Security as they’re looking out for the best interests of our communities and our nation,” Salamun said. “And so I trust that if a natural disaster does come our way, they’ll be ready to come and help.”
Other Cuts to Rural Areas
In order of the most to least amount of money lost, here’s the other vendors who’ve lost money under the BRIC grant:
- Administrative Funds lost nearly $1.2 million.
- Chancellor lost about $486 thousand. Reportedly, the BRIC grant would’ve supported a safe room for a tornado and severe wind shelter, as reported in a South Dakota Mitigation Project website.
- Kingsbrook County lost over $195 thousand.
- Hilly City lost a little over $167 thousand.
- Whitewood lost nearly $130 thousand.
- Day County lost over $63 thousand.
- Charles Mix County lost a little over $55 thousand in one grant and over $14 thousand in another grant.
- Gregory County lost over $14 thousand.
- Hutchinson County lost over $14 thousand.
- Sanborn County lost over $10 thousand.
- National Flood Insurance Program Quick Guides lost $5,000 total.
If any of these vendors would like to share their side of the story with KELOLAND News, then please reach out to Maddie Paul.
To see a full list of federal spending cuts in South Dakota, click here.
