WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that a total of $2,350,000 in federal funding has been awarded for the assessment and cleanup of Brownfield sites in Maine. The federal grants awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assist local communities as they work to redevelop these contaminated sites in order to promote environmental integrity and future economic investment.

“For years, the Brownfields Program has helped Maine communities rebuild and revitalize unused and contaminated properties,” said Senators Collins and King. “This funding is an important investment in Maine’s environment and economy that will help spur development and stability across the state.”

A Brownfield site is property that contains a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, which hinders the potential to reuse or redevelop the site. The EPA's Brownfields Program assists states and local communities as they assess, safely clean up, and reuse Brownfield sites for economic development projects.

This grant funding is part of a larger $54.3 investment from the EPA that will go towards cleaning up Brownfield sites across the country.

The funding is being allocated in Maine as follows:

Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, $400,000 (community-wide assessment grants)

Town of Berwick, $600,000 (cleanup grants for Prime Tanning)

Town of Lubec, $400,000 (cleanup grants for Columbian Factory site)

Penobscot Indian Nation, $200,000 (community-wide assessment grant)

Portland Harbor Commission, $350,000 (site specific assessment grant – Portland Harbor)

City of Rockland, $400,000 (community-wide assessment grants)

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