The City of Westbrook has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help assess, clean and redevelop abandoned and potentially contaminated parcels formerly used by industry.
The $200,000 grant is one of eight grants totaling over $2.3 million going to Maine communities to help revitalize previously industrial and commercial sites. It’s a piece of the over $130 million in grants the EPA has awarded since 1994 to New England communities, including $15 million in Maine.
The Brownfields program is intended to promote redevelopment of the estimated 450,000 abandoned and waste sites across the nation.
“Brownfields grants help pave the way for life and vitality to return to areas of urban blight by leveraging jobs and economic reuse of properties, along with increasing the acres of greenspace and public access,” said Robert Varney, EPA New England regional office administrator. “These funds will directly improve the quality of life in Maine’s communities that are working to redevelop and put to good use abandoned, contaminated parcels.”
In a separate grant, the City of Westbrook police department will receive about $11,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice towards providing traffic-patrol services. U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced the grant on May 8.
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