5
              o
                           T>

  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

      Hancock  County

             Planning

      Commission, ME


EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Hancock County Planning Commission (HCPC)
was selected to receive a brownfields assessment
grant. Located along the Maine coast, the HCPC
serves all 37 Hancock County municipalities and the
town of Isle Au Haut in Knox County (combined
population 51,792). The area's economy is changing in
ways that limit job opportunities. Seasonal tourism-
related jobs result in high off-season unemployment
rates. Natural resource-based jobs, such as fishing, are
threatened by over-fishing and restrictions on catches.
A state inventory has identified 86 potential brownfield
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the Hancock County Planning
 Commission for a brownfields assessment grant.
 Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
 establish a brownfields inventory, prioritize sites for
 assessment, and conduct up to five Phase I and up
 to three Phase II environmental site assessments.
 Grant funds also will be used to support community
 outreach activities.
 Contacts
 For further information, including specific grant
 contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
 news and events, and publications and links, visit
 the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
 brownfields.
 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
 617-918-1424
 http://www.epa.gov/regionl/brownfields
 Grant Recipient: Hancock County Planning
 Commission, ME
 207-667-7131
 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
sites in 28 of Hancock County's towns. They include
an abandoned tannery, agricultural properties, junk
yards, and wood manufacturing and food processing
sites. Conditions at many of these sites discourage
tourism and investment in nearby properties.
Brownfields assessment will identify threats to human
health and the environment and provide valuable data
for future planning. It also is expected to provide the
momentum needed for site cleanup and redevelop-
ment.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-023
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------