EPA awards nine Brownfields grants in Maine

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington awarded nine Brownfields grants in Maine. This year, entities in Maine will receive $2.7 million for assessment and cleanup of Brownfield sites.

Across the six New England states this year, EPA is awarding a total of $10.4 million for 32 communities to assess or clean brownfields, as well as $750,000 for technical assistance to six communities. A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

"Brownfields redevelopment has had a major impact on Maine’s economy and environment," says Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Paul Mercer. "We are grateful to EPA for making the funds available to Maine and encourage establishments who are interested in the program to contact DEP and work with our staff."

The grants will help fund the following projects:

The Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments received a Brownfields assessment grant for $200,000 to conduct up to six Phase I and up to four Phase II environmental site assessments, and prepare four cleanup plans. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities. The target areas will be the cities of Lewiston and Auburn and towns of Rumford and Wilton, which are along the Androscoggin River.

The city of Bangor was awarded a Brownfields assessment grant for $200,000 to conduct five Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update a brownfields inventory, prepare four cleanup plans and support community outreach activities.

The town of Berwick was awarded a Brownfields cleanup grant for $200,000 to clean up the Prime Tanning Blue Sort Building. Tannery operations occurred at the site from approximately 1930 until 2008, when the mill closed and the Prime Tanning owners filed for bankruptcy protection. The site previously had various manufacturing uses, including wool pulling, sash and door manufacturing, laundry operations, shoe manufacturing and lumber activities. The site is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning and community involvement activities.

The city of Hallowell was given two Brownfields assessment grants for a combined total of $300,000. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used for four Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments and develop four cleanup plans. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct four Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments and develop three cleanup plans. Grant funds of both types also will be used to support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on downtown Hallowell, the riverfront and surrounding neighborhoods.

Maine DEP received two Brownfields assessment grants for a combined total of $300,000. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct seven Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments and develop three cleanup plans. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct three Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments and develop two cleanup plans. Grant funds of both types also will be used to support community outreach activities, including three public meetings. Assessment activities will focus on the towns of Millinocket, East Millinocket and Lincoln.

Our Katahdin has been selected for a Brownfields cleanup grant for $200,000 to clean up the 10,000-square foot former Miller's department store building, which has been vacant since 2008. Previous uses of the cleanup site include a bowling alley, cigar factory, jewelry store and department store. The site is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals and organic and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.

The Eastern Maine Development Corp. received a $200,000 Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant. The Eastern Maine Development Corp. will work with the community and other stakeholders to develop an area-wide plan and implementation strategy for the former Verso Paper Mill project area. Key partners who will work with the Eastern Maine Development Corp. on this project include the Bucksport Bay Area chamber of commerce, Bucksport NEXT, Main Street Bucksport and Bucksport Heart and Soul.

The Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) received a $600,000 supplemental revolving loan fund (RLF) to continue and recapitalize its RLF program in the southern Maine area. This additional funding will go toward cleanup activities at catalytic Brownfields sites awaiting redevelopment like the Pepperell Mill Campus in Biddeford, Prime Tanning in Berwick and Eagle Drive in Sanford.

The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) was awarded $500,000 in Supplemental RLF funding to continue its RLF program in the Kennebec Valley region of Maine. This additional cleanup funding will help fund Brownfields cleanup project such as the Seton Redevelopment in Waterville and the Hartland Tannery in Hartland.