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Grant Eyed to Aid Pond Cleanup in Sanford

January 07, 2009 - SANFORD -- Town officials are hoping to land a federal grant that could eventually lead to the cleanup of Sanford’s long-fouled Number One Pond.

And a clean Number One Pond is vital to the long-planned redevelopment of the downtown.

"This is an issue that goes back for decades, because at one time there were functioning mills located around the pond," said Les Stevens, the economic affairs director for Sanford. "Slowly, the pond collected more and more contaminants that sit at the bottom of pond. We want to be able to clean this up."

So when Sanford Planning Director Jim Gulnac heard about a Targeted Assessment Grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, he immediately began setting up an application for Sanford and the Number One Pond.

According to Gulnac, if the EPA chooses Sanford for the Targeted Assessment Grant, the agency would hire consultants to begin testing the pond water for hazardous sediments to determine how much contamination there is and where exactly it is. Gulnac said because the EPA would not be handing the town a set amount of funding for this project, the agency can determine how much it wants to spend on the project and the degree of testing it will perform on the pond.

"The town has reason to believe that the pond is somewhat contaminated – this was Phase 1 of the project," said Gulnac. "If the EPA approves our application, they will hire consultants to begin the Phase 2 of the project – beginning the tests on the water quality of the pond. Phase 3 of the project would be the actual cleanup of the pond once the testing is complete. This could also be part of the Targeted Assessment Grant if we are approved.

Gulnac said within the application, town officials specify what kind of testing and work they would ideally like to be done on the pond, but ultimately, the EPA has control of the funds and their distribution. Gulnac said he would not hear whether the town has been approved for the grant until March. He has been working closely with the agency’s Boston branch representative Jim Byrne on this project.

"We would like a large amount of testing to be done within the pond, but also on different town properties around the pond," said Gulnac.

Three years ago, when real estate consulting firm Bartram & Cochran, of Hartford, Conn., put together a master plan for Sanford’s revitalization , the concept included a link among the old mills, the downtown area and the Number One Pond in the center of town.

Stevens said the consulting firm helped town officials create a "blueprint for the downtown that allowed us all to take a fresh, new look at everything." Slowly, that plan for the town, called the Downtown Redevelopment Plan, has been becoming more of a reality. While the Number One Pond has the potential of becoming a centerpiece for Sanford and its recreational activities, its reputation and its history holds that potential back.

Stevens said he is hopeful the town will be approved for the grant.

"Water is a great draw for people from a recreational perspective, and Number One Pond has always been part of our discussions when we talk about the redevelopment of Sanford," he said. "This is has been on the minds of townspeople for decades. Because the town of Sanford has always valued a strong relationship with state and federal agencies like the EPA, we are hopeful they will approve the project."

By Kelsey Brimmer
Reporter - Reporter, www.keepmecurrent.com
January 6, 2009


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