\   Brownfields 2009  Revolving Loan Fund Grant
              Fact Sheet
              Northern Maine Development Commission
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 Northern Maine Development Commission was
selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The Commission serves the northernmost tip of
Maine, including Aroostook County and the northern
portions of Washington, Piscataquis, and Penobscot
Counties (combined population 76,330). The economy of
this rural region has traditionally relied on agriculture, the
lumber industry, and natural resources extraction.
Downsizing, layoffs, and closures in these industries have
left a legacy of closed and underused properties. A 2006
survey identified 197 brownfields within municipal
downtown areas throughout the region. The average
unemployment rate in the region is significantly higher
than the state average. Since 1960, the region has  lost
about a third of its population. Cleanups conducted
through the revolving loan fund grant will reduce
contamination at brownfields and are expected to
encourage new investment in the region's downtown areas.
                     Revolving  Loan  Fund Grant

                     $500,000 for hazardous substances
                     $500,000 for petroleum
                     EPA has selected the Northern Maine
                     Development Commission for a brownfields
                     revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used
                     to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the
                     Northern Maine Development Commission will
                     provide loans to support cleanup activities for sites
                     contaminated with petroleum and hazardous
                     substances. Grant funds also will be used to
                     establish and operate the fund, conduct oversight
                     and planning, and 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
                     (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: Northern Maine Development
                     Commission
                     (207) 498-8736

                     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-09-126
      May 2009

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