FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:    September 13, 2007

CONTACT PERSON:  Thomas Martin, Executive Director

TELEPHONE NUMBER:    667-7131         FAX NUMBER:  667-2099

E-MAIL:  hcpc@hcpcme.org

PLANNING COMMISSION TO HOLD MEETING ON OCTOBER 4 ON BROWNFIELDS

The Hancock County Planning Commission (HCPC) is holding a meeting on October 4, 2007 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the Ellsworth city hall upper level meeting room on brownfields.    The term “brownfields” refers to abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination.   Potential sites in Hancock County include, but are not limited to, abandoned mines and waste disposal sites, closed factories, former gasoline stations and junk yards.

The meeting is open to the general public and all are welcome to attend. Town officials, owners of suspect sites, environmental groups and the business community may find the session of particular interest. “The HCPC is planning to seek a federal grant to hire an environmental consultant to assess the status of potential brownfields sites in Hancock County and determine what clean-up might be needed,” stressed agency executive director Tom Martin.   “The grant would be the first step in promoting the successful reuse of abandoned sites.  As land becomes more expensive in Hancock County, we need to find ways to use already developed land more efficiently,” Martin continued.  “Brownfields redevelopment is one possible avenue to creating more land for economic development purposes.    The next step would be to seek funds to site clean-up.”

Speakers include Nick Hodgkins, brownfields coordinator for the Maine DEP, who will be discussing how the state may assist in the process.  Glenn Daukas, an engineer of Campbell Environmental Group, will present some examples of how sites have been cleaned up and show some of the steps in the process.