(AGENPARL) – lun 20 maggio 2024 Issued: May 20, 2024 (2:07pm EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration announces $33 million in Brownfield Grants to
rehabilitate and revitalize communities in Maine through Investing in America
agenda
Funded by $1.5 billion investment into Brownfields sites from President
Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance
environmental justice, and create healthier communities
BOSTON (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
announced $33,000,000 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in
America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in
Maine while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted,
vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to
create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected eight communities in Maine to receive nine grants totaling $22
million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose,
Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is
announcing $11 million in supplemental funding to four existing,
high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their
continued work at sites in Maine.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the awards in Philadelphia today
alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay
Scanlon at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile. For over 60 years,
the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of
petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia
has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning
them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and
biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic
and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said
President Joe Biden. “I’ve long believed that people who’ve borne the
burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment.
Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic
resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it
most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and
transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding
environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an
opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA
Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding
under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields
program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and
bring them back into productive use.”
“Brownfields grants are gamechangers—they turn polluted, abandoned sites
into thriving community spaces. This isn’t just about cleaning up the
environment; it’s about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and
ensuring healthier living for everyone—it’s a win-win-win-win-win-win,”
said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “This additional funding from
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated
properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Maine
families, especially in the areas that need it most.”
“The Brownfields Program has proven to be a major benefit to the overall
health of Maine communities,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. “In
addition to cleaning up hazardous substances and improving our environment,
these investments will help communities create new development opportunities
to attract businesses, provide good housing, and create good jobs for
Mainers.”
“Hazardous sites are not only a danger to the health of our communities, but
they also limit important economic activity. With extreme climate events
increasingly jeopardizing these vulnerable areas, investments in local
infrastructure and the health of our citizens are paramount to helping towns
mitigate further pollution and keeping our communities safe,” said
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee. “Thanks to historic
investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $32 million in Brownfields
grants funding will help cleanup and redevelop hazardous sites across our
state—revitalizing communities, spurring economic development, and
protecting the health of Mainers.”
“In too many communities, brownfields are constant reminders of how failed
policies or faraway decisionmakers have left communities in the dust. The
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law isn’t just finding new uses for these sites:
many of these investments are also helping revive the same heritage industries
that supported rural Mainers for generations,” said Congressman Jared
Golden.
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in
areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources
needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As
brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs,
promote economic revitalization and transform communities into sustainable and
environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities
than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental
challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and
environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative,
which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal
investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by
underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives
to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity
considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and
RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to
work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown:
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program
Selection
The following organizations in Maine have been selected to receive EPA
Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC)
Grant Programs.
Caleb Foundation has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields
Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be
used to clean up the Robinson Manufacturing Mill located at 283 King Street in
the Town of Oxford. The 5-acre cleanup site operated as a dam, woolen mill,
sawmill, and grist mill from the late 1700s until closing in 2003. It has been
vacant since then and is contaminated with volatile organic compounds,
inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used
to conduct community engagement activities.
Kennebec Valley Council of Governments has been selected to receive $500,000
for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to
conduct eight Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to develop an inventory of brownfield sites, conduct
at least four community meetings, and perform other community engagement
activities. Assessment activities will occur throughout KVCOG’s service area
of Kennebec, Somerset, and western Waldo Counties with a focus on the Cities
of Fairfield, Skowhegan, Waterville, and Bingham. Priority sites include a
1908 colonial revival brick building, a 123,000-square-foot former wood
product manufacturing and veneer mill facility, and former fueling stations.
Town of Lincoln has been selected to receive $5 million for a Brownfields
Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be
Katahdin Avenue. The 1.2-acre sub-parcel cleanup site operated as a pulp mill
that processed black ash/soda (sodium carbonate) and sulfite pulp until its
closure in 2015. The site is contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy
metals, hazardous substances, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct community engagement activities.
Our Katahdin has been selected to receive $5 million for a Brownfields Cleanup
Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to
clean up the Former Great Northern Paper Company Wastewater Treatment Plant
Lagoons located at 1 Katahdin Avenue in the City of Millinocket. The 27-acre
cleanup site was used to manage and treat paper mill wastewater. The site is
contaminated with volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds,
extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, and metals. Grant funds also will be used
to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement
activities.
Portland Housing Development Corporation has been selected to receive $1
million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Former Kiley
Parcel site located at 33 West Presumpscot Street in the City of Portland. The
0.41-acre cleanup site was formerly a tidal wetland known as Hansom’s Creek
that was filled with contaminated urban fill land at various dates from the
1830s to 1960s and was developed as a residential property in 1922. It is
contaminated with benzo(a)pyrene and lead. Grant funds also will be used to
prepare a Community Engagement Plan, develop an information repository, and
conduct community engagement activities.
City of Sanford has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields
Assessment Grant and $5 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant.
Community-wide Brownfields Assessment Grant funds will be used to conduct 10
Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments, prepare four
cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities. The target area
for the Assessment grant is the City of Sanford’s Historic Mill Yard.
Priority sites include the 7.2-acre International Woolen Mill site, the
9.5-acre Emery Mill site, and the 3.53-acre Wasco Mill site.
The Brownfields Cleanup Grant will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law and will be used to clean up the International Woolen Mill Boiler House
located at Pioneer Avenue. The cleanup site operated as a boiler house with
coal-fired boilers that were converted to fuel oil in the 1920s and is
contaminated with volatile organic compounds, inorganic contaminants, heavy
metals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and light nonaqueous phase liquid.
Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission has been selected to
receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant
funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site
assessments. Grant funds also will be used to prepare 10 cleanup plans and to
conduct community engagement activities including at least eight community
meetings. Assessment activities will focus on the City of Biddeford, the City
of Sanford, and the Town of Parsonsfield. Priority sites include a 1-acre
former foundry and machine shop and two former mill sites.
City of Westbrook has been selected to receive $4 million for a Brownfields
Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be
used to clean up the River Walk North site located at 12 Water Street and
Bridge Street. From 1793 until 1997, the 5-acre cleanup site had multiple
industrial uses, including as a sawmill and mill dam, an iron wire
manufacturer and lumber manufacturer, the Dana Warp Mill, and the SD Warren
Power station. The dam and power plant were removed between 2019 to 2021 and
the site is currently undeveloped. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and metals. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community
engagement activities and draft a Community Relations Plan.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants
selected for funding, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and
Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund
(RLF) Grant Program
In addition, the Agency is announcing $11 million in non-competitive
supplemental funding to four successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
Grant programs in Maine that have already achieved success in their work to
clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for
recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at
brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue
to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by
brownfield sites. The following Maine organizations have been selected to
receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving
Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
Eastern Maine Development Corporation has been selected to receive $3 million
through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $1 million in
EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with
significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or
subgrants leading to four cleanup projects that are either completed or in
progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include
the Great Northern Paper Mill Complex in Millinocket and the Navel Building 85
Complex in Corea. The mill complex is being addressed by parcel and this
portion of the work being funded will result in the creation of an aquaculture
center and wood product manufacturing facility. Approximately $12 million is
expected to be generated from the private developers. The Navel Building is
also anticipated to provide new aquaculture resources to the region along with
a new solar development project to improve climate resiliency. The BIL funding
will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups
in the most underserved areas in Penobscot, Hancock, Piscataquis, and Waldo
Counties.
Maine Department of Economic and Community Development has been selected to
receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to
the $11,524,983 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing
RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has
successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 48 cleanup projects that are
either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the
BIL funding include the Baked Bean Factory in Portland and Beals Linen in
Auburn. The Beals Linen cleanup will replace an abandoned dry cleaner with a
Police Athletic League Center to support a community center providing daycare,
preschool, and afterschool programs in a disadvantaged community. The Baked
Bean Factory redevelopment will provide the community with a center for
digital engineering and life sciences education. The BIL funding will extend
the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most
underserved areas in the state of Maine.
Piscataquis County Economic Development Council has been selected to receive
$1 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the
$1,750,000 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF
program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully
made loans or subgrants leading to six cleanup projects that are either
completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL
funding include Erkkiworld Auto Site in Greenville Junction and the Former
Braeburn Hotel in Guilford. Both cleanups will lead to commercial
redevelopment of underutilized properties and the creation of jobs and
services for these small communities. The BIL funding will extend the capacity
of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved
areas in Piscataquis County.
Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission has been selected to
receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to
the $15,820,000 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing
RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has
successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 25 cleanup projects that are
either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the
BIL funding include Prime Tanning in Berwick and Old Post Road Parcels in
Kittery. The Prime Tanning redevelopment is anticipated to provide mixed-use
commercial and residential development in downtown Berwick, creating 265
housing units and 40 new retail and commercial spaces. Funds for Old Post Road
will add to current cleanup efforts and result in at least eight affordable
housing units. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to
provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in 39 Towns in
York County, southern Oxford County, and Cumberland County.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients, visit EPA’s FY
2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Additional Background:
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support
the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and
environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the
awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are
satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion
in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return
blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each
year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment
nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant
cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion
investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This
investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to
increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants
selected for funding, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and
Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients, visit EPA’s FY
2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient, visit EPA’s
Brownfields Grow America webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program, visit EPA’s Brownfields
webpage.
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