News Release
Energy & Environmental Research Center
University of North Dakota
P.O. Box 9018
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701) 777-5000
MARCH 31, 1998 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Forks Research Center Rebounds from 1997 Flood Disaster
GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- A year ago, the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) was ravaged by one of the most destructive floods in United States history.
The EERC lost millions of dollars worth of sophisticated scientific equipment and millions more in research contracts. Today, the EERC has not only recovered its preflood research capability, it's also thriving in the competitive world of contract research and planning to expand its facilities in an effort to create jobs and economic growth in a region still struggling to recover from a devastating flood.
"This place went through hell," says EERC Director Groenewold. "But I've been at the EERC more than 10 years, and I have never been more optimistic about our future. In spite of what happened last year, we are succeeding at bringing in exciting new projects at a time when research dollars are increasingly difficult to come by."
For the EERC, recovering from the April 1997 Red River flood that hit Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, Minn., has been a difficult and sometimes painful experience. With the loss of labs, equipment and research contracts came the loss of staff.
"The EERC's market-driven philosophy has given our researchers the freedom to pursue their dreams," Groenewold explains. "But there's always an element of risk involved in this approach because operating revenue is never guaranteed."
Although the financial impacts were great, Groenewold's greatest concern was about the flood's psychological effects. "The psychological impacts are now healing," he says. "But it's not difficult to understand how, for some people, the loss of security in their flooded homes and the increased risk at work was too much to bear."
Today, with the EERC's flood-damaged labs back in operation, new employees being hired and expansion opportunities on the horizon, the center is rebounding from the catastrophic events of last year. Groenewold estimates that total financial recovery of the EERC to preflood conditions will take another two years.
One of the areas hardest hit by flooding at the EERC was its Natural Materials Analytical Research Laboratory (NMARL). Researchers in this lab assist utilities around the world in operating their power plants more efficiently and in reducing maintenance and energy production costs. The NMARL also a key part of the EERC's expanding initiatives in waste utilization, pollution prevention and environmental cleanup technologies.
But because the NMARL's instruments are sensitive to movement, it's located below ground level, making the lab more vulnerable to flooding. On April 19, 1997, as the Red River of the North crested above predicted levels and forced nearly the entire community of 50,000 people from their homes and businesses, water began seeping into the basement of the EERC's main building.
The EERC didn't go down without a fight, however. While the city was being evacuated, about a dozen members of the EERC's staff stayed behind to construct a sandbag dike and set up equipment to pump out water that was beginning to seep into the lower levels of the center's facilities. Unfortunately, safety concerns and lack of electricity eventually put an end to the operation.
Abandoning the EERC to its fate during the flood "was gut-wrenching," says Ed Steadman, EERC associate director for research, who was one of the last employees to leave the center. When he returned later to inspect the damage, he was encouraged to find that the water hadn't reached the ground floor of the EERC's main facilities. However, the labs, offices, equipment rooms and storage areas below ground were another matter.
"When I looked down the stairwell in the laboratory addition, I saw about three feet of water," Steadman recalls. "It was a sickening feeling, knowing what was down there."
After the water was pumped out and the damage was cleared away, the cleanup and rebuilding process began. UND and the EERC officially re-opened for business on May 8, 1997. At the EERC, basic services such as water and electricity were restored within a few days. In a matter of months, lab and office spaces in the lower levels were once again ready for occupation.
Groenewold praises UND President Kendall Baker for spearheading the university's quick recovery. "He displayed true leadership during a time of great crisis. His wisdom and support have meant a great deal to the EERC's recovery efforts," he says.
Finding equipment to replace what had been lost took longer. With the help of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant and an equipment contribution from the now-defunct U.S. Bureau of Mines, the EERC was able to fully restore its labs and other facilities.
In the flood's aftermath, the EERC has used its expertise in geology and hydrogeology to help the region recover, consulting with local officials on measures to protect the community from future floods. The EERC is conducting flood studies for the businesses and government agencies that belong to its Red River Water Management Consortium. The EERC is also spearheading a rebuilding assistance program aimed at making Greater Grand Forks a national model for energy efficiency and sustainable development.
Despite the damage, most areas of the EERC were unaffected by the flood. These included the energy research facilities that house innovative experimental technologies designed to generate power more cleanly and efficiently. Within a few weeks after floodwaters subsided, the EERC began conducting successful test runs using equipment and expertise available nowhere else in the world.
The EERC has not only regained its preflood capabilities, but is now planning to expand its facilities with the addition of a technology commercialization center.
"Community development and business leaders approached us about doing this," says Groenewold. "They recognize that the EERC is a key to creating economic development and high-end jobs."
The new building will provide office space and meeting rooms for EERC business partners who require technical assistance in commercializing energy and environmental technologies. Incorporating the latest techniques in energy-efficient design, which include daylighting and passive solar heating, the building is expected to use 70 percent less energy.
"For the EERC," Groenewold says, "this represents the final step in creating an infrastructure focused on moving promising energy and environmental technologies out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. The future looks very promising."
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For More Information Contact:
Gerald Groenewold, EERC director, at (701) 777-5131 or [email protected]
Patrick Miller, EERC communicatons coordinator, at (701) 777-5113 or [email protected]
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