Rockland to Host Brownfields Assessment Program Information Session

Rockland, Maine - The City of Rockland will be hosting a public information session for anyone interested in its new Brownfields Assessment Program on Thursday, December 19th, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Rockland City Hall.  This meeting follows the Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting that begins at 4:00 p.m.  Both are free and open to the public.

The City of Rockland was awarded $400,000 in assessment grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2012 to identify and assess ‘Brownfield’ sites in the City.  Brownfield sites are abandoned or underutilized industrial and commercial sites that have economic redevelopment and reuse potential but where that potential is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.  The City; through its environmental consultant, Ransom Consulting of Portland; will use these funds to conduct environmental assessments and cleanup and reuse planning on these types of properties.  By conducting these assessments, owners or perspective developers will then know the extent of contamination and the costs of cleanup at their properties, if any, and thereby eliminate a significant barrier to the ultimate redevelopment and reuse of their properties. The Brownfields Assessment program is completely voluntary, and there is no cost to the property owner or perspective purchaser.

The goal of the public information meeting is to educate people about this program and to highlight the benefits of the program to property owners or prospective purchasers and developers.  The meeting will include an example from a current participant in the Program.  According to Rockland Community Development Director, John Holden; “There is sometimes a challenge in getting property owners to participate in the Brownfields Assessment Program, because they may misunderstand the program. This session is part of a concerted public outreach campaign to clarify the Program.”

More often than not, it is the environmental stigma or perception of contamination on these vacant or underutilized properties that shy developers away from purchasing and redeveloping these sites.  In addition to protecting and promoting a clean environment, this is a redevelopment tool and an incentive program for helping existing property owners or prospective buyers identify and understand their environmental liabilities and cleanup costs early, so they can build these costs into their redevelopment business plans.

Representatives from the City of Rockland, Ransom Consulting, the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection and the Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee will be on hand to answer questions. More information about the program is available by contacting John Holden at jholden@ci.rockland.me.us or (207) 594-0306.