Maine Delegation Announces Nearly $4.5M in NBRC Economic & Infrastructure Development Grants

Press Release

Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), and Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Jared Golden (ME-02) announced nearly $4.5M in grants from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) today. The Economic & Infrastructure Development (EID) grants will provide funding to address aging water and sewage treatment infrastructure, enhance rural access to broadband, and support small businesses.

"Reliable infrastructure is essential for our economic resilience in Maine," said the Maine delegation. "The access to high-speed internet, updates to local services and facilities, and other projects made possible by these grants will help support small businesses, keep families healthy and safe, help our students succeed, and grow our state's economy."

The NBRC is a federal-state partnership that was created by Congress in 2008 to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.

The following grants were announced:

$1,000,000 to the Greater Franklin Development Council, to extend fiber optic internet access to six towns in and around Franklin County;
$1,000,000 to the Anson Madison Sanitary District, to upgrade the sewer system;
$1,000,000 to the Fort Fairfield Utilities District, for the construction of new infrastructure to treat wastewater;
$505,100 to the Ashland Water and Sewer District, to enhance water quality by removing and replacing aging infrastructure;
$516,116 to the Town of East Millinocket, to fix and upgrade the recycling and train facilities;
$44,600 to Community Concepts Finance Corporation, to improve internet access in rural Maine for approximately 8,000 people;
$345,000 to Sunrise County Economic Council Entrepreneurship Council, to create a small business support center in Washington County;
$88,810 to the Town of Searsport, for sewer facility upgrades.