Navy Completes BNAS Environmental Review

Press Release

The U.S. Navy today announced that it has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the environmental review process at Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS). The Navy's approval of the ROD will allow the Navy to transfer the BNAS property, and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) to move forward with efforts to reuse the base. U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree today applauded the Navy's decision.

"I applaud the completion of the National Environmental Protection Act process at Brunswick, and look forward to the conversion of the base into a job-creating engine for the region. I commend the Navy, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, and community leaders in the region for joining forces to spur this vital economic redevelopment effort," said Senator Snowe.

"This is an important milestone in the redevelopment efforts at Brunswick Naval Air Station, and provides the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority with the necessary tools to begin transferring property to new businesses," said Senator Collins. "I want to thank the Navy for its work and look forward to continuing to work closely with MRRA to facilitate business development at the base."

"This is a critical step forward for the redevelopment process," said Representative Mike Michaud. "Our delegation has worked closely together to support the local community, and we stand ready to help in any way that we can moving forward."

"The Brunswick Naval Air station has been a vital part of the community for decades and while it's sad to see the Navy go, I have great confidence about the future uses of the base. Completion of this review is the next step in creating new opportunities and good paying jobs for the MidCoast region," said Representative Chellie Pingree.

In December 2010, the Maine Delegation was also successful in preventing the closure of the commissary located in Topsham and the Navy exchange store located in Brunswick. The stores were scheduled to cease operations in March 2011, but section 643 of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 caused the Department of Defense to recently announce that the stores will remain open until at least September 15, 2011. The legislation ensures that the Department of Defense does not close the stores without first considering the impartial review from the Comptroller General, and provides the Maine delegation, and commissary and exchange users, additional time to convince the Secretary of Defense that the stores should remain open.

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