WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that a combined total of $3,200,000 in federal funding has been awarded for the assessment and cleanup of 10 Brownfields 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.

“The cleanup and proper disposal of hazardous waste not only enhances the safety of our communities, it creates new opportunities for economic development and job creation,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. "We are pleased that the EPA has designated these sites throughout Maine as recipients of vital federal funding for the revitalization of brownfield sites, and we welcome their continued investment.”

The January 2017 assessment from the Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT) – originally requested in March 2016 by Senators Collins and King – highlighted the importance of the Brownfields Program and its potential to leverage federal resources to redevelop former industrial sites, support the viability of impacted mill communities, and help to grow Maine’s rural economy.

A brownfield site is a property that contains a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant that 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 brownfields sites for economic development projects.

The funding is allocated as follows:

• Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments: $800,000
• Town of Camden: $200,000
• Greater Portland Council of Governments: $300,000
• Town of Hancock: $400,000
• Kennebec Valley Council of Governments: $200,000
• Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission: $200,000
• City of Portland: $200,000
• City of Sanford: $300,000
• Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission: $200,000
• Town of Wiscasset: $400,000

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