Newspaper building screened by EPA

NORWAY — Federal funds are being used to search for hazardous materials at five area commercial sites, including the offices of the Advertiser Democrat/Sun Journal.

Four of the five sites will be subjected to a second round of assessments.

The Brownfield Assessment Project of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed an initial assessment at the newspaper office building and the lot which once held the Color Center in Norway, as well as the Hillside Development in Livermore Falls, Wilton Tannery in Wilton, and the Western Maine Development Group (WMDG)  (formerly Nichols/Bass) in Wilton.

A brownfield is a property which has commercial development potential, but which is plagued by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The perception of environmental hazards, or even potential environmental hazards, can interfere with the development, sale, or reuse of area buildings.

There are an estimated 450,000 such sites in the United States, and the program was established in 1995 to begin either cleaning up those sites, or clearing them for commercial use.

The two Norway sites, as well as the WMDG, will undergo a limited Phase Two assessment, while the Wilton Tannery will be subjected to a complete Phase Two assessment.

Phase One work included a historical documentation of site usage, while Phase Two will consist of actual physical testing for possible contaminants.

A public hearing about the two Norway sites has been scheduled for December 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Norway Town Office.

AVCOG applied for and received a Brownfields Assessment Grant in late 2008. The Brownfields Grant included funding for Phase One and Phase Two work for a maximum of six sites throughout the region.

A Steering Committee composed of eight area volunteers developed scoring criteria for site selection, eventually choosing five properties from the top 15 highest-ranked sites. All of the owners signed up to voluntarily participate in the program.

In 2007, three other area business sites went through the same process, including the former Corn Shop in Norway, the former Penley Mill in West Paris, and Joneco in Kingfield.