EPA Announces $38 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup Communities Across Maine

May 16, 2025

BOSTON (May 16, 2025) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of $38 million in Brownfields Grants to communities across Maine. These grants—which include Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants—put the agency's commitment to protect human health and the environment into action while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and advancing policies to energize the economy.  

Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants in Maine include:

• $6.5 million for 10 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
• $22.21 million for eight selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at Brownfields sites owned by the recipient.
• $3 million for three selectees for Revolving Loan Fund Grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at Brownfields sites.

Brownfields Supplemental Revolving Loan Fund Grants in Maine include: 

• $6.65 million for four high-performing recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated Brownfields sites. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.  

"Today's Brownfields announcement reflects EPA's commitment to clean air, land, and water for every American. From rural towns to urban centers, we are helping communities across New England clean up contaminated sites and unlock new opportunities for economic growth and revitalization," said EPA Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. "Through partnerships with states, local governments, and the private sector, we're returning blighted properties to productive use—and showing that a clean environment and economic development can go hand in hand."

"These investments in Maine's Brownfields sites will help clean up environmental hazards while laying the groundwork for future economic development," said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. "By transforming blighted properties into sites ready for redevelopment, this funding will support jobs, attract new investment, and improve lands across our state."

"Cleaning up and rehabilitating former industrial sites is a win for everyone in Maine," said U.S. Senator Angus King. "This $38 million investment from the Environmental Protection Agency represents a federal commitment to support us as we protect our state's natural beauty and the health of Maine people while also energizing our economy."

"This is a big win for Bar Harbor, and it reflects the incredible teamwork behind the scenes," said Town Manager James Smith, Bar Harbor. "We're grateful to the EPA and proud of the strong partnership between the Town, the YMCA, and our local and state collaborators. This funding helps us protect children, expand access to recreation, and invest in the community's future."

"Rarely is my breath taken away. These funds will benefit both the health and vitality of current and future generations of Belfast Citizens. Keep the Faith has become a mantra for our City, and these Grants embody why we use it. To me, this is a testament to the determination, talent, and dedication of City Staff. Good things can happen to Good Cities!" said Mayor Eric Sanders, City of Belfast.

"Brownfields assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment provide direct and positive impacts to all members of the community," said City Manager Penny Thompson, City of Caribou. "Now, with EPA's support, the City of Caribou will be able to limit the potential impacts of contamination that would negatively affect our community members. We're excited to continue envisioning a new chapter in our Brownfields story that supports our local economy, and makes the city safer, healthier, and stronger!"

"This collaboration with the EPA allows us to leverage public funding to unlock significant private investment in Cumberland County," said Kristina Egan, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments. "We're committed to using these federal resources to jumpstart the redevelopment of properties that would otherwise remain out of reach for the private sector. This paves the way for transformative new projects and strengthens Maine's economy."

"The town of Lincoln is very appreciative of this award. We could not realize the effective redevelopment of the shuttered Lincoln Pulp & Paper mill without the ongoing partnership of the EPA," said Town Manager Rick Bronson, Town of Lincoln.

"The Town of Lisbon, Maine, is thrilled to be a recipient of a $500,000 FY25 EPA Brownfields assessment grant. As a former mill town currently experiencing a strong resurgence, we look forward to using this funding to assess the Town's underutilized properties, identify additional properties for assessment, and to support redevelopment in Lisbon," said Town of Lisbon Director of Economic and Community Development, Ross H. Cunningham.

"The Midcoast Council of Governments is grateful to be given this opportunity. At a time when Maine is facing a housing shortage, flooding and storm surges impacting shoreland areas, and dwindling commercial space for small start-ups, cleaning up brownfield sites can be a way to address these issues while improving public health. We look forward to this new partnership with the US EPA, and are excited to bring these resources to the Midcoast region of Maine," said Maxwell Johnstone, Senior Planner, Midcoast Council of Governments.

"This 2025 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant builds on our previous cleanup efforts and enables us to address remaining hazardous materials and deteriorated structures within the former paper mill complex. In combination with strategic rail infrastructure investments by Maine DOT, this project will open new developable acreage and restore critical freight access—making the site highly competitive for industrial reuse," said Sean Dewitt, President, Our Katahdin. "Our long-term objective has been to align EPA's brownfields investments with broader federal and state infrastructure priorities to catalyze private investment and sustainable job creation in the Katahdin region. We are grateful for the continued partnership of the EPA in advancing this shared vision."

"The EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants are vital to the economic and environmental revitalization of Piscataquis County. By transforming underutilized sites into productive assets, the grants stimulate local economies, create jobs, and enhance community well-being," said Angie Arno, Executive Director of Piscataquis County Economic Development Corporation. "The success of the Mayo Mill project underscores the importance of EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants in facilitating the transformation of contaminated sites into valuable community assets in Piscataquis County."
"This funding is essential to recapitalize SMPDC's Brownfield's RLF program that has resulted in tremendous economic growth and jobs in our region.  With housing affordability being such a challenge in our region and throughout the state, these funds are often the key to leveraging private investment in challenging sites, making them productive once again," said Executive Director Stephanie Carver, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission.
"The Town of Standish is excited and grateful for this grant.  It aligns with our mission to promote a healthy and connected community to improve quality of life. This grant has the potential to transform polluted and vacant properties into community assets, while creating jobs and encouraging economic growth," said Town Manager Tashia Pinkham, Town of Standish.

"This is great news!  The Town of Warren has been looking forward to this opportunity and to be able to clean up this property for 20+ years. This is an exciting day for Warren!" said Town Manager Sherry Howard, Town of Warren.

"The City of Westbrook is extremely grateful for the resources that the brownfields program has infused into our local economy. This is a huge step forward in our mission to realize the full potential of our downtown Presumpscot River corridor," said Mayor David C. Morse, City of Westbrook.

The selected applicants in Maine are:

• Town of Bar Harbor has been selected to receive $510,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Mount Desert Island YMCA site located at 21 Park Street. Originally developed in 1916, the site has served as a residence, car storage garage, and YMCA, and is currently contaminated with metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• City of Belfast has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct up to ten Phase 1 and ten Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is a 38-square-mile coastal parcel within the City of Belfast. Priority sites include a 5.5-acre parcel formerly used as office space and a potato products company, and a 1.5-acre parcel formerly used as an industrial freezer facility.
• City of Belfast has been selected to receive $2,000,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 0.34-acre former Waldo County Superior Court House located at 137 Church Street, adjacent to Belfast City Hall. It was used as a courthouse from 1853 to 2018 and was then used for storage and record-keeping. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and volatile organic compounds. Grant funds also will be used to clean up the Bradbury Manor site located at 74 High Street. The 0.27-acre site operated as a hospital from 1922 to 1961 and a nursing home from 1961 to 1995. It has been vacant and deteriorating since 1995 and is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and volatile organic compounds. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• City of Caribou has been selected to receive $4,000,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Steam Plant at the Former Caribou Power Plant Complex located at 142 Lower Lyndon Street, adjacent to the Aroostook River. The site operated as a fossil-fuel-powered electric generation facility from 1949 to 2012 and has remained vacant since. It is contaminated with hazardous building materials, including metals and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• Town of East Millinocket has been selected to receive $4,000,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the west fuel storage area and wood lot area of the former Great Northern Paper Mill site located at 50 Main Street. The 5.5-acre fuel storage area operated from 1950 to 2015 and contains abandoned aboveground storage tanks, rail car fuel unloading facilities, and a pump house. It is contaminated with a variety of hazardous substances, including petroleum, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, inorganic contaminants, and metals. The 30-acre wood lot area was used as the mill's woodyard from 1960 to 2014 and is contaminated with hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities, including the development of a Community Involvement Plan.
• Greater Portland Council of Governments has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to inventory sites and conduct approximately six Phase 1 and six Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup and reuse plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant includes the Portland Peninsula and the City of Westbrook. Priority sites include a 25,000-square-foot blighted and vacant building, a 100,000-square-foot historic building, and a former paper mill complex.
• Greater Portland Council of Governments has been selected to receive $2,000,000 in supplemental funding for their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund program, in addition to the $6,199,843 in EPA funds already awarded. The council's RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 10 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects projected for use of the new funding include two sites in Portland: Thompson's Point and a property at 70 E Oxford Street.
• Hancock County Planning Commission has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately ten Phase 1 and seven Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop reuse plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant includes the communities of Gouldsboro, Hancock, and Stonington. Priority sites include a 5.5-acre waterfront parcel that was formerly used as a railroad depot, an 11-acre former seafood cannery site, and a 93-acre abandoned landfill.
• Town of Lincoln has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately 16 Phase 1 and ten Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop eight cleanup plans, host one public meeting, and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is downtown Lincoln. Priority sites include a 369-acre former pulp and paper mill complex that closed in 2015 and a former gasoline service station in downtown Lincoln.
• Town of Lisbon has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately seven Phase 1 and seven Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is Lisbon's Route 196 Corridor. Priority sites include a 7-acre former textile mill, a 100-acre property that once housed a construction firm, and a 2,260-square-foot former automotive building.
• Maine Department of Economic and Community Development has been selected to receive $2,000,000 in supplemental funding for their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund program, in addition to the $15,024,983 in EPA funds already awarded. The department's RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 32 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects projected for use of the new funding include a Power Plant in Caribou and the Beals Linen property in Auburn.
• Maine Department of Environmental Protection has been selected to receive $2,000,000 for a Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately 20 Phase 1, 15 Phase 2, and seven supplemental Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to prepare cleanup plans, reuse plans or planning charrettes, and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant includes the Cities of Auburn, Lewiston, and Caribou. Priority sites include the 0.6-acre former Beals Linen dry cleaning property in Auburn, a former commercial lumber facility, and the Miller Industries woolen mill property in Lewiston; and the 4,050-square-foot former Federation Fertilizer property and the 1,512-square-foot former Ray's service garage site in Caribou.
• Midcoast Council of Governments has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately eight Phase 1 and eight Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup and reuse plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant includes the City of Rockland and the Towns of Thomaston and Brunswick. Priority sites include an 8-acre former marine rail terminal, a 2-acre former fish processing plant, a 1-acre riverfront site that formerly housed lime kilns, four parcels that were used to house a cement company and compose nearly 1,500 acres, and a 5.5-acre former rail depot.
• Midcoast Council of Governments has been selected to receive $1,000,000 for a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the council will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities. RLF activities will focus on the City of Bath and the Towns of Wiscasset and Warren. Priority sites include the former Stinson canning factory, the former 1940s-era Mason Station Power Plant, and the Steamship Navigation site, which was formerly used as an outdoor firing range.
• Our Katahdin has been selected to receive $4,000,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Great Northern Paper Company's Roll Storage and Machine Shop Buildings located at 1 Katahdin Avenue in Millinocket. The buildings are part of the 1,400-acre former Great Northern Paper Company paper mill complex, which has been vacant and unused since 2008. The buildings are contaminated with metal and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities, including preparing a Community Involvement Plan.
• Piscataquis County Economic Development Council has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately ten Phase 1 and ten Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to create an information repository, conduct community engagement activities, and prepare site cleanup plans. The target area for this grant includes the Towns of Dover-Foxcroft and Guilford. Priority sites include the former Duvaltex Mill in downtown Guilford, which was used as a sawmill in the early 1800s, and the vacant Hotel Study site, which comprises three parcels with a history of industrial uses.
• Portland Housing Authority has been selected to receive $3,300,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the COMB Block site located at 70 E Oxford Street. The 1.5-acre site has historically been used for affordable housing and currently houses four three-story ten-unit multifamily residential units that are proposed for demolition. Historic fill material consisting of wood, coal ash, metal, debris, and bricks was used to develop the site, which is contaminated with metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• City of Portland has been selected to receive $2,000,000 in supplemental funding for their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund program, in addition to the $5,312,049 in EPA funds already awarded. The city's RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 12 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects projected for use of the new funding include the Youth & Family Outreach site and the Portland Housing Authority COMB Block.
• City of South Portland has been selected to receive $1,000,000 for a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the City of South Portland will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities. RLF activities will focus on South Portland's Fore River Waterfront, Main Street Corridor, Liberty Shipyard, and REO Marine Boat Services Garage. Priority sites include a 30-acre shipyard and a 200-acre railyard, both of which have multiple bulk oil storage tanks.
• Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission has been selected to receive $650,000 in supplemental funding for their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund program, in addition to the $19,320,000 in EPA funds already awarded. The commission's RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 26 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects projected for use of the new funding include the International Woolen Mill Boiler House in Sanford and the Best Automotive site in Kittery.
• Town of Standish has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately ten Phase 1 and eight Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities and prepare site cleanup plans. The target area for this grant is the Town of Standish. Priority sites include the former Sylvania Factory, which manufactured circuit breakers, sensors, and other electrical components; the former Pompeo Sand and Gravel Quarry Pits; and the Two Trails transportation corridor centered around the Route 113 and Route 25 intersection.
• Sunrise County Economic Council has been selected to receive $1,000,000 for a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the Sunrise County Economic Council will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to market the fund and conduct community engagement activities. RLF activities will focus on the Towns of Machias and Cutler, and the City of Eastport, including adjacent Passamaquoddy Tribal land. Priority sites include a former town dump, the Machias Valley Airport, a former pearl essence factory, and a waterfront site with a history of railroad and industrial use.
• Sustainable Lincoln Corporation has been selected to receive $400,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up Parcel 5 of the Lincoln Pulp and Tissue Mill Complex located at 50 Katahdin Avenue. The 37-acre parcel is part of a 369-acre former pulp and paper mill in downtown Lincoln that operated from 1883 to 2015 and has since been vacant and unused. It is contaminated with petroleum-impacted materials and soil, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• Town of Warren has been selected to receive $4,000,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Steamship Navigation Site located at 2287 Camden Road. The 71-acre site contains an industrial building with many historical uses, including a firing range, firearms retail store, and photographic laboratory. The site has been vacant and unused since the 1990s and is contaminated with metals and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• City of Westbrook has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct approximately eight Phase 1 and eight Phase 2 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update and expand a brownfield site inventory and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the 0.25-mile area along both sides of the Presumpscot River in downtown Westbrook. Priority sites include a former hydroelectric dam and power station, a mixed-use development at Main Street and Church Street Parking Lots, and a parcel formerly used as a paper mill.

View the full list of selected applicants here. Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA.

Background

EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. In New England alone, these investments have revitalized hundreds of sites, created jobs, and improved the quality of life in communities.

Nationally, EPA's Brownfields investments have leveraged to date more than $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 220,500 jobs.  

For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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