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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree calls for no-cost transfer of former Brunswick Naval Air Station land
House Members join in urging passage of Pingree's proposal

For immediate release
September 20, 2009
Contact: Willy Ritch 207-841-8400

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to support passage of a provision in the Defense Authorization Bill that would make a substantial contribution to the redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Congressman Mike Michaud and nearly a dozen other Representatives signed Pingree's letter to the House-Senate negotiators working on a final version ofthe bill.

Earlier this year Pingree introduced a bill (H.R. 1959, the "Defense Communities Redevelopment Act of 2009") that instructed the government to transfer land at decommissioned military bases to the community at no cost if there is a significant economic benefit. Over the last eight years, the Department of Defense has required communities to pay for the land-sometimes millions of dollars-and that has resulted in many parcels going unused after a base is closed.

Pingree's proposal was incorporated into the Defense Authorization Act and passed by the House earlier this year. However, the proposal relating to the no-cost transfers was not included in the Senate version of the bill, so negotiators from the House and Senate have to agree to a compromise. This week Pingree wrote a letter, signed by 11 other Members of the House, urging those House-Senate negotiators to include the no-cost transfer provision in the final version of the bill. Congressional leadership hopes to be able to vote on the final bill within the next month.

"Along with my colleagues, I'm urging Members of the House and Senate to pass this provision," Pingree said. "It's essential to help communities like Brunswick redevelop after the closure of a base. The federal government should be giving these efforts a boost, not creating obstacles."

Pingree's provision directs the Department of Defense to make no-cost transfers (called "no-cost economic development conveyances" or "no-cost EDCs") to a Local Redevelopment Authority. In Brunswick, that would be the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA).

Earlier this year, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton praised the work that Pingree had done on this issue.

"Through the expansion of no-cost EDCs, communities impacted by BRACwill have another tool at their disposal to develop these lands for public use," Skelton said. "Thanks to the hard work of RepresentativePingree, these communities will find it easier to take advantage of theopportunity and improve the quality of life for those most impacted bythese decisions."

Local officials say the "no cost economic development transfer" bill that Pingree introduced is critical.

"Without a no cost transfer we would have to come up with $20 to $30 million to purchase land at the base," said Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. "I don't know where anyone would come up with that kind of cash in this environment. And that would mean a big part of BNAS would sit undeveloped. This region would suffer greatly."

Text of the letter is below
Dear Chairmen Skelton and Levin and Ranking Members McKeon and McCain:

We write in strong support of the language included in H.R. 2647, the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010", as passed by the House, encouraging the use of no-cost economic development conveyances (EDCs) when disposing of excess military property. The no-cost EDC language included in the House passed bill will allow communities affected by the closure of a military base to efficiently redevelop excess military property, and quickly promote job creation and economic development.

As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), communities across the country will face devastating job loss and economic hardship during one of the worst economic recessions in our nation's history. Facing this harsh reality, each community and its Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) must find ways to retool and reorganize the former military installation into a base of economic support and job growth for the community. Currently, the Department of Defense (DOD) has a number of property disposal mechanisms to help in this effort but not all of the mechanisms are on equal footing. In fact, when a community seeks to utilize former military property for the purposes of economic development, the LRA and the community must go through a convoluted transfer process that almost always delays or inhibits the land from being redeveloped.

Under current law, the DOD is required to seek fair market value when disposing of excess BRAC property that will be used for economic development purposes. The law was intended to generate revenue for the DOD that could then use the revenue for environmental cleanup and other purposes. In practice, however, disputes over property valuation and contentious negotiations have almost always delayed or prevented the excess property from being transferred back to the community.

Prior to 2002, the DOD had full authority to utilize no-cost EDCs, through which surplus property could quickly be transferred to a LRA at no cost to the community. During that time, over 34 communities across the country were able to successfully obtain and redevelop former military property through a no-cost EDC; creating thousands of jobs and saving the Federal government millions of dollars in facility and land maintenance.

The no-cost EDC provision included in H.R. 2647, as passed by the House, will restore the use of no-cost EDCs as a viable and beneficial option for communities facing the closure of a military base. For decades, the towns and cities surrounding military bases have supported these installations as friends, neighbors, family, and taxpayers. Now,after years of support, the DOD and the Federal government have a moral obligation to ensure that the former military installations are transformed into a base of support for the community.

As you move forward with the conference negotiations on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, we strongly urge you to retain the no-cost EDC provision, as contained in the House passed bill, in the final conference report to accompany H.R. 2647.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your continued service to our country in providing for a strong and sensible national defense.

Sincerely,

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