Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Town of Searsport received a total of $911,190 to upgrade a wastewater treatment facility and improve water quality.  This funding was awarded through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

“Safe water is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of Searsport residents and communities throughout Maine,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.  “We welcome NBRC and EDA’s investment, which will help to improve water quality discharged into Penobscot Bay and ultimately decrease the negative environmental impacts to shellfishing and recreational industries.”

Since its creation in 2008, Senators Collins has been a champion for the NBRC.  As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins successfully secured $25 million the NBRC in the fiscal year 2020 Energy and Water funding bill, making this investment in Searsport possible.  

The NBRC provides grants for projects throughout northern and central Maine, as well as northern New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont, spurring economic and community development.  In 2019, NBRC awarded more than $6 million to projects in Maine.

Since fiscal year 2018, the NBRC has received specific funding for the State Capacity Building Grant Program, a new program included in the Northern Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act that was signed into law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.  This program, in partnership with the EDA, allows NBRC to support business retention and expansion, access to high-speed broadband, critical infrastructure development, and job creation throughout the region.