Several brownfield sites in Greater Portland will be the focus of federal funds to help area communities redevelop the properties.
The sites have not been selected yet by the Greater Portland Council of Governments, which announced Thursday that it has been awarded $3.9 million by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is the single largest grant that GPCOG has ever received.
The EPA funding is part of the $1.5 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law approved by Congress in November designed to invest in infrastructure across the United States. The money for GPCOG is among $24.2 million being allocated to communities and organizations across Maine for brownfield projects.
“It is an unprecedented amount of money and allows us the opportunity to make big things happen in the region,” said Tony Plante, director of municipal collaboration and chief operating officer at GPCOG.
Plante said the regional planning organization has identified numerous possible brownfield site projects in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook. A brownfield site could be buildings or land – typically previously developed land that is not currently in use – that pose redevelopment challenges due to previous contamination from hazardous substances.
A spokesman for GPCOG said on Thursday that specific brownfield sites have not been selected yet by the agency.
EPA-funded loans and grants are used to assess, clean up and redevelop brownfield sites while protecting public health and the environment. The funds aim to support economic growth and empower communities to address the environmental, public health, and social issues associated with contaminated land.
About half of the $3.9 million will be issued in the form of loans while the remaining funds will be distributed as grants to eligible nonprofits.
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