Brownfields 2011  Revolving  Loan Fund Grant
              Fact Sheet
   ***««*     Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, ME
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help
states and communities around the country cleanup and
revitalize brownfields sites. 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 Kennebec Valley Council of Governments was
selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The Council serves the Counties of Kennebec
and Somerset and six towns in Waldo County. Located
in central Maine, the Kennebec Valley region
(population 175,000) was once a thriving
manufacturing center. Paper and textile mills and
chicken and fish processing plants were the economic
engines in the region for the first half of the 20th
century. Mill closings, increased automation, and the
relocation of businesses have dramatically impacted the
region. Jobs disappeared, and communities were left
with a legacy of abandoned and contaminated
properties. The region now has higher unemployment
and poverty rates than the state or national rates.
Cleanups conducted through the RLF grant are
expected to build on the momentum generated by recent
redevelopment in the region and create opportunities
for further redevelopment projects in the communities'
Comprehensive Plans.
                   Revolving  Loan  Fund Grant

                   $750,000 for hazardous substances
                   $250,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the Kennebec Valley Council of
                   Governments for a brownfields revolving loan fund
                   grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a
                   revolving loan fund from which the Kennebec
                   Valley Council of Governments will provide loans
                   and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites
                   contaminated with hazardous substances and
                   petroleum. The Council expects to fund up to five
                   loans and subgrants through the RLF. Grant funds
                   also will be used to oversee cleanups and support
                   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
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
                   (617)918-1424
                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site
                   (http: //www. epa.gov/region 1 /brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: Kennebec Valley Council of
                   Governments,ME
                   (207) 45 3-425 8 ext 21

                   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 negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-128-014
         May 11

-------