Pingree, EPA Administration visit North Dam

Paul Schumaker, executive director of the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, speaks about mill revitalization made possible, in part, by brownfield cleanup funds provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, at the North Dam Mill in Biddeford Monday. (JEFF LAGASSE/Journal Tribune)

By DINA MENDROS
Staff Writer

Published:

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

BIDDEFORD — Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Curt Spaulding visited Biddeford’s North Dam Mill Monday to recognize the benefits of brownfields funding in the area. Millions of dollars have been invested in Maine and other areas of the country to clean up contaminated brownfield sites, allowing for redevelopment of these areas, which leads to economic development and jobs.

Pingree’s visit was also a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 last month.

Funds in the amount of $2.5 million were allocated to Maine in 2009 for cleaning up brownfield sites as a result of stimulus funding. This was in addition to the $4.3 million allocated to the state for clean-up as part of the normal funding cycle.

In addition to Pingree and Spaulding, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner David Littell; Paul Shumacher, the executive director from the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission; representatives of U.S. senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins; Mayor Joanne Twomey; two Biddeford City Council members; and City Manager John Bubier attended the event.

Although the event was held at North Dam Mill, Bubier – who introduced Pingree and Spaulding – said every mill in the 1.5 million square foot mill district had a brownfield that required clean-up to move forward with redevelopment efforts.

The funds, he said, were “absolutely an important factor in developing our mill district.”

When the mills in Biddeford and Saco were constructed in the 1800s, they provided thousands of jobs for people in the area, said Pingree. With EPA funding to clean up brownfields, Pingree said, the mills can play a new role in the communities’ future.

Not only are short-term jobs created to conduct the clean-up, but long-term redevelopment and reuse of the sites leads to economic development and jobs for the area, said Pingree.

We’re “proud of the work this community has done,” she said.

Before working at the EPA, Spaulding said he was a brownfields developer. Because of his experience, he said, he understands what it means to make a vision happen, a vision for “a piece of history brought back to productive use.”

The money invested in the North Dam Mill, recognized as the most redeveloped mill in Biddeford’s mill district, was used to make something that was formerly considered a blight into a “constructive asset,” he said.

“These places can provide resilience” for a community, said Spaulding.

He added, this story is being copied across New England.

“The EPA is part of the economic revival of New England,” said Spaulding.

Maine DEP Commissioner Littell explained that brownfield funds are used first to assess a site, come up with a clean-up plan and then conduct the clean-up.

Then, he said, as in the case of the North Dam Mill, a public-private partnership is created, with the developer funding a redevelopment project suitable for the site.

The success of the brownfield program is dependent on working with local partners, said Spaulding. In York County, that’s the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission.

SMRPC Executive Director Shumacher said that since 2004, the commission has received over $1 million in assessment fund from the EPA and $2.7 million for a revolving fund.

Nearly all the money has been spent in the downtowns of York County to redevelop the downtown and create jobs. The success of the revolving loan fund is that it can be used to leverage private investment, he said. As a result, he said, more than 100 jobs have been created at the North Dam Mill.

Pingree and Spaulding also stopped at a mill site in Sanford where money is being used to clean up a site. They and other officials toured the CGA site on New Dam Road, which was recently taken by the town through the tax foreclosure process.

The 17-acre property has long been considered an eyesore. About three acres are covered by mounds of old circuit boards, left over from when the former owners used sulfuric acid to leach out the copper. The property also contains a derelict processing building and the remains of a burned-out mobile home.

Following the meeting at the site – which included Town Manager Mark Green, two town councilors, aides to Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, Maine Department of Environmental Protection officials and neighbors who have pushed for comment – Spaulding spoke to the Journal Tribune in a telephone interview.

Spaulding confirmed what town officials have long said was the case: That the EPA cannot fund removal of the circuit boards, but can provide funding for assessment of the soils underneath the boards and soil clean-up.

He said what is most important right now is that the town determine a future use of the property, so that they can apply for assistance in other venues with a specific goal in mind.

“The site is in a beautiful setting,” said Spaulding, and pledged to be a partner in the clean-up.

Neighbor David Bernier, who has led the charge for clean-up of the site, said the congressional delegation has all submitted appropriation requests for funding totaling more than $800,000.