A \ Brownfields 2009 Assessment and
,SBj Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
Sanford, ME
RECOUERY.GOV
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. On February 17, 2009,
President Barack Obama signed into law the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an
unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create
or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds
to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate
and clean up former industrial and commercial sites.
Under both laws in Fiscal Year 2009, EPA will provide
financial assistance to eligible applicants through four
competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving
loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants.
Community Description
The Town of Sanford was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant and two brownfields
cleanup grants. Located along the Mousam River in
southwestern Maine, Sanford (population 20,806) thrived
from the late 1800s to the 1950s as a vibrant textile mill
town. When the mills closed, more than 3,500 residents
lost their jobs. Although the town was successful in
recruiting new industry, most of this new industrial base
relocated or closed by the 1990s. Today, the town's
unemployment and poverty rates are consistently higher
than county and state rates, and the median household
income is significantly lower than the county median.
Many of the large mills that surround the Mousam River
are abandoned and deteriorated. There are more than 30
brownfields sites in downtown Sanford, many within the
former Sanford Mills complex. Brownfield assessments
will help the town determine the extent of contamination
at priority sites, which is expected to remove one of the
biggest obstacles to redevelopment. Cleanup of the two
target sites will help decrease human exposure to
hazardous substances and reduce contaminated runoff
entering the Mousam River. When the sites are cleaned
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of Sanford for a
brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
perform up to six Phase I and four Phase II
environmental site assessments, and conduct
cleanup planning and community outreach
activities. Assessments will focus primarily in the
areas around the old Mill Yard and
Redevelopment Corridor of the town.
Cleanup Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
(Recovery Act Funding)
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of Sanford for two
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the Sanford
Mill site at 61 Washington Street. The site was
built in 1915 as part of the Sanford Mills complex
and has been used for the manufacture of fabrics,
light bulbs, and plastic products. Investigations
have identified elevated levels of semi-volatile
organic compounds, PCBs, and benzo(a)pyrene at
the site. Hazardous substances grant funds also
will be used to clean up the Aerofab site at 3
Aerofab Drive. The site was built in the late 1880s
as part of the Sanford Mills complex and has had
various uses, including a dye house and an
amphibious aircraft manufacturing facility. Site
soil is contaminated with volatile organic
compounds. Grant funds from both grants also will
be used to conduct community involvement
activities.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-09-046
May 2009
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up, the town plans to construct 36 housing units on the
Sanford Mill complex.
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/regionl/bro wnfields)
Grant Recipient: Town of Sanford,ME
(207) 324-9150
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)
EPA 560-F-09-046
May 2009
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