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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

         Lewiston,  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 City of Lewiston was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in southern Maine,
Lewiston (population 35,690) is the state's second
largest city. In recent years, the city has experienced
an influx of approximately 3,000 Somali refugees, many
in need of employment. Most have settled in the city's
Enterprise Community, where unemployment rates are
three to four times higher than those of the city and
state, and the individual poverty rate is 41.8 percent.
Many historic industrial areas in the city are currently
underutilized or vacant since the closure of the majority
of manufacturing  operations within the city. After the
target site  is cleaned up, the city plans to reuse it as
greenspace.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Lewiston for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the former
Androscoggin Mill No. 8 site at 15 Locust Street.
The site was originally part of a textile mill complex
built in 1860, and over the years has had a number
of industrial uses, including auto repair and service,
coal storage, and hydropower generation. The site
is contaminated with inorganic compounds, semi-
volatile organic compounds, and PCBs. Grant
funds also will be used for community involvement
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: City of Lewiston, ME
207-513-3000, ext. 3231

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.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-025
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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