Press Releases

House Members join in urging passage of Pingree’s proposal

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to support passage of a provision in the Defense Authorization Bill that would make a substantial contribution to the redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Congressman Mike Michaud and nearly a dozen other Representatives signed Pingree’s letter to the House-Senate negotiators working on a final version of the bill.
 
Earlier this year Pingree introduced a bill (H.R. 1959, the “Defense Communities Redevelopment Act of 2009”) that instructed the government to transfer land at decommissioned military bases to the community at no cost if there is a significant economic benefit.   Over the last eight years, the Department of Defense has required communities to pay for the land—sometimes millions of dollars—and that has resulted in many parcels going unused after a base is closed.
 
Pingree’s proposal was incorporated into the Defense Authorization Act and passed by the House earlier this year. However, the proposal relating to the no-cost transfers was not included in the Senate version of the bill, so negotiators from the House and Senate have to agree to a compromise. This week Pingree wrote a letter, signed by 11 other Members of the House, urging those House-Senate negotiators to include the no-cost transfer provision in the final version of the bill. Congressional leadership hopes to be able to vote on the final bill within the next month.
 
“Along with my colleagues, I’m urging Members of the House and Senate to pass this provision,” Pingree said. “It’s essential to help communities like Brunswick redevelop after the closure of a base. The federal government should be giving these efforts a boost, not creating obstacles.” 
 
Pingree’s provision directs the Department of Defense to make no-cost transfers (called “no-cost economic development conveyances” or “no-cost EDCs”) to a Local Redevelopment Authority. In Brunswick, that would be the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA).
 

Earlier this year, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton praised the work that Pingree had done on this issue.
 
“Through the expansion of no-cost EDCs, communities impacted by BRAC will have another tool at their disposal to develop these lands for public use,” Skelton said. “Thanks to the hard work of Representative Pingree, these communities will find it easier to take advantage of the opportunity and improve the quality of life for those most impacted by these decisions.”
 
Local officials say the “no cost economic development transfer” bill that Pingree introduced is critical.
 
“Without a no cost transfer we would have to come up with $20 to $30 million to purchase land at the base,” said Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. “I don’t know where anyone would come up with that kind of cash in this environment. And that would mean a big part of BNAS would sit undeveloped. This region would suffer greatly.”