Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Program

The Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) accepts applications through its Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (BRLF) Program for cleanup loans and grants at Brownfields properties throughout Maine.  Along with its technical partner, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Brownfields Program, the DECD BRLF Program will fund the cleanup of sites with hazardous wastes, preparing the sites for reuse. DECD has applied to EPA for supplemental funding  to complete additional projects.   Applications are reviewed by a panel of staff from both agencies, choosing those that best meet the EPA criteria. There is no “match” required for the funding. EPA does require that more than 50% of the total funds issued by DECD’s BRLF Program will be in the form of a loan, so DECD will generally prioritize projects requesting at least 50% of the funding as a loan.  The BRLF Program can provide attractive terms for loans.  A municipality or a non-profit may request both grant and loan funds. Private entities are only eligible for loan funds.  An applicant may request up to $500,000 per parcel in subgrant or loan. The BRLF Program may consider a higher request on a project-by-project basis.  All requests exceeding the $500,000 cap must provide a written justification of why the extra funding is necessary and appropriate. It is important that we start work on our “shovel-ready” projects now and prepare our other Brownfields projects for cleanup funding in the following years. Being able to demonstrate successes to EPA now will position Maine well in the following years, ensuring a steady stream of robust funding. Because this is a competitive process, there are four major areas your application should address thoroughly to be successful: completeness of application. demonstration of an aggressive schedule for starting the project and using the funding. demonstrate leveraging of other funding and resources to ensure the completion of the  project. explain how the remedial approach will result in a remedy that is durable resilient in the face of severe weather events. Failure to adequately address any of these areas will affect the competitiveness of the application. The amount of funding we obligate will depend on the quantity and quality of the applications we receive. Please use the  application (Word) (which has been revised), and read the eligibility criteria carefully. Please complete and include the RLF Eligibility Checklist (Word) . All applications should be submitted electronically to  [email protected].