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Feds Award $1.8 Million to Maine Communities to Clean up 'Brownfield' Sites

Almost $1.8 million federal dollars are coming to Maine to help seven municipalities and groups across the state to get possibly contaminated properties ready for redevelopment.    

This latest round of competitive EPA brownfield grants, announced Thursday, are for planning, site assessment and, in two cases, clean-up. 

"A brownfiield site is a site where there is concern about potential contamination from past, historic operations at that site," says David Wright of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Two clean-up grants will be used in Berwick at the former Prime Tanning Company, and in Millinocket at the former Miller's department store.  

Wright says brownfield money focuses on facilities that are in the centers of cities and towns. "And that's important because we can then maximize efficient use of local infrastructure, like sewer systems, water systems and three-phase power and that sort of thing, and prevent redevelopment of green spaces outside of town."

Among the grants announced Thursday is $300,000 awarded to the Maine DEP, which Wright says will allow the agency to quickly assess sites.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.