Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Portland, ME

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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. On January 11, 2002, the President signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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.

CLEANUP GRANT

$150,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Portland for a brownfields cleanup grant. The grant will be used to clean up hazardous substances contamination at a section of the Bayside Rail Yard. During rail yard operations, soil at the site became contaminated with arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and lead. Grant funds also will also be used for community involvement activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Portland was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Portland has a population of 64,249. The project area lies between Portland's downtown district and Interstate 295. This area is home to some of the city's most vulnerable residents. Nearly a quarter of Portland's foreign-born population lives in the vicinity, 58 percent of residents are low-income, and 90 percent of housing is renter-occupied. This cleanup project includes a concrete cap that will serve as the ground floor for a 500-space parking garage. The garage will be a springboard for construction of two new office buildings that will bring 500 new jobs to the community. This project is part of master plan that includes additional office space, greenspace, and a pedestrian/bicycle trail in Bayside Rail Yard.

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
617-918-1221
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/

Grant Recipient: Portland, ME
207-874-8725

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.