Published Mostly Weekly by the
Bangor Area Breakfast Rotary Club
www.bangorbreakfastrotary.org
February 19, 2015
Cleaning up the brownfields
Y
ou may never get used to seeing abandoned factory buildings or ugly
acreage that once hosted manufacturing facilities where chemical
contamination occurred. If they continue to irritate, you can take heart in
the aggressive Brownfields Assessment Programs run by the City of
Bangor.
Karen Schaller introduced Jason Bird and Rip Patten who described the process of
the program and the benefit to the region. Mr. Bird, who is Economic and Development
Officer for the City of Bangor, showed photographs of the before/after sites that were
reclaimed from disuse or abandonment. He recalled what the city’s waterfront looked like
years ago when it was a railroad switching
terminal. “With the Brownfields program,
we have waterfront concerts, the Folk
Festival, a new hotel and a casino,” he said.
The Envirnmental Protection Agency’s
Brownfields Program empowers states,
communities, and other stakeholders to
work together to prevent, assess, safely
clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.
A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of
which may be complicated by the presence
or potential presence of a hazardous
substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief
and Brownfields Revitalization Act was
passed to help states and communities
around the country cleanup and revitalize
brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA
John Cheney, Rip Patten
provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training
grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs
through a separate mechanism.
Mr. Patten, an environmental
engineer with Credere Associates,
LLC, an environmental consulting
company based in Westbrook, said
that before 1990, polluters had to
pay for site cleanups. In the 1990’s,
the Federal government passed the
Brownfields Law that says that the
purchaser is no longer liable for a
previous owner’s pollution.
The City of Bangor has grant
money available for brownfield
assessments. Municipalities and
non-profit organizations are eligible
for $200,000 in grant money.
Mr. Bird and Mr. Patten cited
brownfield restoration successes.
Jason Bird, Diane Dickerson
The Eastern Fine Paper site in
Brewer and Shaw’s Supermarket in Bangor
each were located on polluted land. In the case of Shaw’s, Mr. Bird said that
contaminants remain under the parking lot. But the off-gassing occurs through light poles
that discharge the fumes into the atmosphere well above the parking area. Something to
think about as you push your shopping cart to your car.
No snow. Yet
President John Cheney reported that kayacker Deb Wolters, whose goal is to raise
money for children in Guatemala, is resting after neck surgery. He mentioned also that
Rotary International announced a Rotary Friendship Exchange in Brazil November 20December 4, 2015. Talk to John about your desire to visit Sao Paulo and environs. John
reminded us also to give to the Polio Plus collection cans on our tables.
Lisa Wahlstrom is coordinating ads for the All That Jazz program booklet. If she
already has your business card on file, you need not send another one to her unless there
are changes. The business card sized ad is $35 and the double size (think of McDonald's)
is $50, handy for two-sided cards. Ken Kimball said five bands will perform: Old Town,
Orono, Bangor, Brewer and Herman High Schools. The program takes place on Tuesday,
March 31.
The promise of snow failed to materialize in time for the morning’s gathering, and
weather reporter George Eaton gave us the outlook for the next few days. He claimed he
was correct regardless of how much snow fell last week because he forgot to give us a
number. He described the concrete wall of drifted snow on his property, and said he will
create the snow pool next week. We can guess the date – and maybe the hour – when this
35’x45’ wall disappears and win the pool (which it will be when it melts).
Diane Dickerson was happy to be back in Bangor after enduring the heat of Florida,
where she was incarcerated in a conference. She traveled also to Las Vegas to celebrate
her father’s 92nd birthday. Bob Leavitt was also in Florida and happy to be back home.
Dick Cattelle asked why Bob would be happy to return to winter.
The winter is keeping Ivan McPike happy as salt sales remain steady.
The Bangor Symphony Orchestra will provide a visit to a warmer clime if you win
the symphony’s raffle to travel to Monterey, California or Savannah, Georgia. Lisa
Wahlstrom has details.
PROPOSED NEW MEMBERS
Elena Metzger - sponsored by June Kontio
Don Hanson - sponsored by John Cheney
Brent Miller - sponsored by Doug Townsend
Les Myers- February 19, 2015