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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joins EPA in announcing federal funding for brownfield cleanup in Maine
$6 million will help communities cleanup industrial sites for redevelopment

For immediate release
May 11, 2009
Contact: Willy Ritch 207-841-8400

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined the EPA in announcing $6 million in federal funding to help communities clean up industrial sites in Maine. $3.1 million of the brownfield cleanup money will come to communities in Maine's First Congressional District.

"This is important federal funding that will help communities clean up contaminated sites so they can be redeveloped," Pingree said. "Without this funding, many of these pieces of property would go unused and remain a burden to the community. Cleaning up these sites means they can be put back into use and stimulate the local economy."

"The town of Sanford is an excellent example of how this important funding can be put to work," Pingree said. "Cleaning up the area around the Sanford Mills complex is an important step toward the revitalization of the area's economy."

The grants are divided between three categories:

Assessment grants for conducting site assessment and planning for eventual cleanup at one or more brownfields sites or as part of a community-wide effort.

Revolving Loan Fund grants for capitalizing a revolving loan fund. Loans are made from those funds to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields sites.

Cleanup grants for conducing cleanup activities at brownfields sites owned by grant recipients.

The brownfield funding has been supplemented by money authorized by the economic recovery act passed by Congress earlier this year.

A summary of grants for the First Congressional District is below

Augusta
Assessment Grant
$350,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Augusta for a brownfields assessment grant. Site-specific hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform a Phase II environmental site assessment of the American Tissue Mill site at 54 Maple Street. Grant funds also will be used to develop a cleanup plan and conduct community outreach activities.

Bath
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected the City of Bath for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct six to eight Phase I and five to six Phase II environmental site assessments in three target areas. Grant funds also will be used to update the city's inventory of sites, conduct cleanup planning, and support community outreach activities.

Greater Portland Council of Governments
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding)
$200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected the Greater Portland Council of Governments for two brownfields assessment grants. Communitywide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform five Phase I and four to five Phase II hazardous substances assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct six Phase I and four to six Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop a brownfields inventory, conduct cleanup planning, and support community outreach activities.

Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding)
$200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments throughout the state. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 6 Phase II environmental site assessments.

Sanford
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of Sanford for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform up to six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments, and conduct cleanup planning and community outreach activities. Assessments will focus primarily in the areas around the old Mill Yard and Redevelopment Corridor of the town.

Sanford
Cleanup Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding)
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of Sanford for two brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Sanford Mill site at 61 Washington Street. The site was built in 1915 as part of the Sanford Mills complex and has been used for the manufacture of fabrics, light bulbs, and plastic products. Investigations have identified elevated levels of semi-volatile organic compounds, PCBs, and benzo(a)pyrene at the site. Hazardous substances grant funds also will be used to clean up the Aerofab site at 3 Aerofab Drive. The site was built in the late 1880s as part of the Sanford Mills complex and has had various uses, including a dye house and an amphibious aircraft manufacturing facility. Site soil is contaminated with volatile organic compounds. Grant funds from both grants also will be used to conduct community involvement activities.

Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
Revolving Loan Fund Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The Commission anticipates awarding three loans and two subgrants. Grant funds will be used to conduct cleanup planning and oversight, and support community outreach activities.

Windham
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of Windham for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, and conduct six Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and support community involvement activities.

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