WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that two Maine communities will receive a total of $1.1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue their work cleaning up contaminated brownfield properties. The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments in Fairfield will receive $500,000, and the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission in Saco will receive $600,000.

“The Brownfields Program has helped numerous Maine communities restore unused and contaminated properties, creating new opportunities for economic development, recreation, and other purposes,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This funding will allow the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments and the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission to continue investing in brownfield cleanup projects that improve Maine’s environment and create jobs.”

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.

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