EPA Announces $2.16 Million in Supplemental Funds to Clean Up and Revitalize Brownfield Sites in Maine

Funds are part of $11.6 million awarded nationwide

June 23, 2021

BOSTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $2,160,000 in supplemental funding for five current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees in Maine. The Maine recipients are among nine groups in New England selected to receive a total of $3.35 million.

The recipients of Brownfields RLF funding in Maine are the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments ($330,000), City of Portland ($330,000), Greater Portland Council of Governments ($500,000), the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development ($500,000), and the Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission ($500,000).

The supplemental funds announced today are going to communities that have demonstrated success in using their revolving loan funds to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. The supplemental funds will be used to continue their progress in reusing vacant and abandoned properties and turning them into community assets such as housing, recreation and open space, health facilities, social services, and commerce opportunities.

"EPA Brownfields funding provides a much-needed boost for economic development and job creation in Maine, and in many of New England's hardest hit and underserved communities," said EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro. "The partners we are recognizing today have been selected to receive additional funds, thanks to their proven track record of success. These groups have redevelopment projects already lined up and ready to go, putting businesses to work and transforming local communities. Covid-19 has impacted every corner of New England and these grants have never been more important to our local partners or local economies."

Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG) is receiving $330,000 to recapitalize their loan fund from which they will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities in the area of Lewiston, Auburn, and surrounding communities. This award will increase their loan fund to over $1.75 million. Potential projects include important sites such as Bates Mill in Lewiston and the 60 Minot Avenue site in Auburn, which are in environmental justice areas. Including its other grants in the past, the council will have received a total of $2.43 million in EPA Brownfields funding by the end of this year.

"AVCOG is excited to continue our work to remediate sites in our tri-county region! The AVCOG Brownfields program not only has cleaned up environmental contamination but has resulted in leveraging other funds for the redevelopment of sites for new housing opportunities, commercial development, and improved community spaces. We look forward to continuing this work with the support of EPA," said Amy Landry, Executive Director.

The City of Portland is receiving $330,000 to help fund cleanups at eligible sites within the city. The City has successfully managed Brownfields RLF grants for the betterment of the community since 1999.  This award will increase their loan fund to over $1.6 million.  Potential projects anticipated for this funding include the Homeless Services Center and the Portland Company Development, which are both in environmental justice areas. Including its other grants in the past, the city will have received a total of $3.62 million in EPA Brownfields funding by the end of this year.

"Thank you to the EPA for continuing to provide the City of Portland with grant funding that helps us clean up environmentally contaminated properties in our City," said City of Portland Mayor Kate Snyder. "These funds support a healthier environment as well as the redevelopment of properties into new housing, mixed use, commercial and institutional uses. This most recent grant of $330,000 for our Brownfields Revolving Loan Program is greatly appreciated. Among our successes through this Program are the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine, other sections of Thompson's Point including Brick North and the Depot area, Children's Odyssey School, Portland Housing Authority's Boyd Street Housing and Phase I of the Front Street Housing project."

Greater Portland Council of Governments is receiving $500,000 to recapitalize their loan fund from which they will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities in the greater Portland area, bringing the fund up to a total of $2.3 Million. Potential projects anticipated for this new funding include the 58 Fore Street, an environmental justice site in Portland, and the Bridgton Memorial School in Bridgton. Including other grant types in the past, the council has received a total of $3.8 Million in EPA Brownfields funding to date.

"Brownfields redevelopment is one of the keys to economic recovery and economic vitality. The Greater Portland Council of Governments looks forward to putting these funds to work returning sites to productive use, eliminating environmental hazards, and invigorating our communities. For Greater Portland, EPA's partnership and investment has been invaluable in catalyzing job growth, expanding housing choice, and creating new economic opportunities," said Kristina Egan, Executive Director of Greater Portland Council of Governments.

Maine Department of Economic & Community Redevelopment is receiving $500,000 to recapitalize their loan fund from which they will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. This award will increase their loan fund to over $4.6 million. The department has a great track record of funding needy projects around the state and conducting cleanups at former industrial facilities located in both urban and rural communities. Potential projects include important sites such as Bates Mill which is in an environmental justice area in Lewiston, Pepperell Mill in Biddeford, and the Merlin One site in Caribou.

"The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, with our partner The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, is excited to be receiving $500,000 from the EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund's 2021 Supplemental Funding. These funds will enable cleanup of hazardous materials from existing brownfields sites and will allow for redevelopment and new residential, commercial, and light industrial opportunities for communities in Maine," said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission (SMPDC) is receiving $500,000 to recapitalize their loan fund from which they will fund cleanups in York County and parts of southern Cumberland and Oxford Counties. This award will increase their loan fund to over $4.6 million. Their team is very experienced and has helped to clean up many mills in Biddeford, Sanford and Saco.  Projects expected to advance with this funding include the Pepperell Mill and the former MERC incinerator site, both of which are in environmental justice areas in Biddeford, and the Stenton Trust Mill in Sanford.  Including other grant types in the past, the commission has received over $10.8 Million in EPA Brownfields funding to date.

"Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission has implemented a successful Brownfields revolving loan fund and assessment program for over a decade, leveraging over $200 million through the assessment and clean up funds we have received through EPA.  These funds have allowed us to create affordable housing, downtown revitalization, business growth and shared community spaces," said Paul Schumacher, Executive Director of the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission. "Our success could not have been achieved without our partnership with the EPA Brownfields Program and its Region 1 staff. This latest supplemental RLF approval will allow us to continue this exciting work."

Additional Quotes

"Redeveloping and cleaning up brownfield sites will help support job creation and foster economic growth in communities that need it most," said Senators Susan Collins and Angus King in a joint statement. "Each of the 5 recipients of this federal funding from the EPA have a strong background in bolstering sustainable development in the regions they operate in. We are encouraged by this federal investment to support cleanup and revitalization efforts of brownfield sites, turning vacant and abandoned facilities into strong community assets that will support the future of Maine people throughout our state."

"Alongside my fellow Mainers, I am thrilled to welcome this critical investment from the Environmental Protection Agency into our communities. These supplemental funds are being awarded to communities that have already demonstrated their success and competency in managing complex environmental cleanup projects. This additional investment speaks to both the expertise here in Maine as well as the federal government's commitment to be good stewards of economic growth. Mainers need safe housing, social service support agencies, child care facilities, and other community services. With assistance from EPA, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, and community partners, these funds will benefit each of our neighbors. As Chair of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I will use these examples of success to continue my advocacy for these key funds," said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

"Brownfield sites in Maine like Bates Mill have too much history and potential to be let go to waste. I'm glad the EPA recognized the importance of cleaning up these sites and AVCOG's strong track record of success. This funding will help pave the way for bringing good jobs and new energy to our region, and I'm excited to see what comes next," said Congressman Jared Golden.

"Brownfields funding like this helps transform communities.  Remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties boosts local economies while reducing pollutants in our environment.  The work of these recipients will benefit our entire state," said Melanie Loyzim, Commissioner of Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

"Many of the brownfields cleanups supported by EPA's Revolving Loan Funding are in economically disadvantaged communities where environmental cleanup and jobs are needed most," said Carlton Waterhouse, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. "This supplemental funding will help sustain and increase the great progress these communities have made in cleaning up brownfields sites, while also helping them become stronger, healthier, and more economically competitive."

Background

Brownfield RLF grants enable funding for communities to provide loans and sub-grants for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned into the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community.

To date, EPA's RLF grantees across the country have completed 794 cleanups and attracted approximately 48,000 jobs and $16.2 billion in public and private funding. Today's supplemental funds will help communities keep the cleanup momentum going so that more cleanups can be completed.

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. EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $1.6 billion in brownfield grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments have leveraged more than $34.5 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding leveraged, from both public and private sources, more than 176,800 jobs.

Grants awarded by EPA's Brownfields Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes, while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, brownfields grants are shown to:

• Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
• Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5 and 15 percent following cleanup.

More information:

• EPA's Brownfield Investments in New England communities: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-and-land-revitalization-region-1
• EPA's Brownfields Program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
• EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding