BISMARCK – North Dakota communities are losing more than $20 million for disaster mitigation projects due to the cancellation of a Federal Emergency Management Agency program, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

NDDES stated it is notifying local agencies of impacts from the cancellation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. A FEMA new release on April 4 announced all BRIC applications from fiscal years 2020-2023 will be canceled if grant funds have not been distributed.

The decision will result in the loss of over $20 million for disaster mitigation projects across the state, including approximately $7.1 million for a water intake project in Washburn, $7.8 million for a regional wastewater treatment project in Lincoln and $1.9 million for a wastewater lagoon project in Fessenden.

“The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program,” the FEMA release stated. “It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.”

About $882 million of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the next fiscal year. The 2021 law made $1 billion available for BRIC over five years, with $133 million provided to date for about 450 applications. FEMA estimates more than $3.6 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery for communities and survivors.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed state agencies to work with local communities to explore options and find other solutions for key infrastructure projects. The impacted projects are not under construction, but some have accumulated costs for engineering, environmental reviews and other work.

NDDES stated North Dakota has been recognized as a national leader in disaster mitigation efforts, becoming the first state in the region to achieve enhanced mitigation status. Over the years, the state’s strategic investment in mitigation has prevented an estimated $1.9 billion in disaster damages and more than $24 billion in disaster recovery assistance since 1993.