^ Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Orono, 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 Town of Orono was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Incorporated in 1806, Orono (population 9,712) was a leading lumber town in the Penobscot River Valley. Orono's saw and lumber mills, specialty wood product manufacturers, and pulp and paper mills, including the targeted Webster Mill site, were located at the junction of the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers to take advantage of natural water power. The Webster Mill employed hundreds of workers in paper manufacturing, fabrication of steel parts for guns during World War II, and recycling of used woolen textiles in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the mill is in poor structural condition, and contaminants at the site pose a risk to human health and the environment. Numerous low-income residential properties are located in the site area. The target area's poverty rate is 27 percent. Site cleanup will enhance the neighborhood by reducing health threats. The 54,000-square-foot building has the potential to accommodate a variety of residential, institutional, and commercial reuse options. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Town of Orono for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Webster Mill site at 5 Shore Drive. The site has been used since the late 1800s for various industrial purposes, including paper, lumber, and wool milling. Site soil is contaminated with arsenic and other inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to 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/regionl/bro wnfields) Grant Recipient: Town of Orono,ME (207)866-5051 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-09-215 May 2009 ------- |