Brownfields Work in Gray

Gray is positioned to assess potential cleanup efforts thanks to funding from the EPA and guidance from a dedicated Town committee.

What are Brownfields Sites? 

According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Brownfields sites are "...property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." Essentially, these sites are areas that historically were polluted, or perceived as being polluted, by factories, mines, or other waste-causing facilities and thus deemed hazardous to development. The EPA maintains the National Priorities List, a catalogue of areas that warrant further investigation and cleanup efforts after years of toxic waste pollution.

Are There Brownfields Sites in Gray?

Gray has one known Brownfields site, the Former McKin Company Superfund Site, located at 25 Mayall Road. After many years of cleanup efforts, in March 2022 the EPA recommended this site be removed from the National Priorities List, which signals to the community that cleanup efforts are complete and some redevelopment may be possible.

McKin Site

The Former McKin Company Superfund Site in Gray.

In 2022, the Town recently received $500,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess Town property for other possible property that may qualify as a Brownfields site. This assessment grant award will benefit Gray’s economic revitalization efforts, including, but not limited to, future planning for the Gray Village Center and the Route 100/Portland Road Corridor as prioritized by Gray’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan, and other recent development initiatives supported by the Gray Town Council. 

Gray is receiving support from the University of Connecticut Technical Assistance for Brownfields (UCONN TAB) program as Town leadership works to address Brownfields concerns in Gray. You can view an overview of UCONN TAB's services here, and a summary of their team and services below. UCONN Tab gave an overview to the Town Council of their services at the Council's meeting on January 3, 2023. 

UConn TAB Services Poster

What is the Role of the Brownfields Advisory Committee? 

Created in 2022, the Gray Brownfields Advisory Committee (BAC) assists Town staff with identifying prospective properties for environmental assessment, cleanup, and reuse planning as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency economic development grant program intended to bring sites affected by actual or perceived environmental contamination back to productive use.

The members of the BAC are as follows:

Voting Members: 

  • Schelene Shevchenko
  • Rick Licht
  • Steve McPike
  • Lacy Antonson
  • Galen Morrison
  • Kathy Tombarelli

Ex Officio Members

  • Liz Blackwell-Moore, Cumberland County Health
  • Robin Mullins, Sebago Lakes Chamber of Commerce 
  • David Chapman, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
  • Karen Place, U.S. EPA Region 1

Town Staff and Council Liaisons: 

  • Nate Rudy, Town Manager
  • Kristen Muszynski , Community Planner
  • Doug Webster, Planning Director
  • Tammy Munson, Code Officer
  • Katie Johnston, Finance Director
  • Dan Maguire, Council Liaison
  • Michael Curtis, Council Liaison
Brownfields Work UpdatesDate
Updates on 80 Whitney Road and Meadowview 2/Avesta Development [PDF]March 2023