City of Gardiner, Kennebec County, Maine
To: All Interested Agencies, Groups, and Individuals
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) intends to fund the following proposed action under the Catalyst Program. NBRC will prepare an 8-Step Decision-Making Process review in compliance with Executive Order (EO) 11988 (Floodplain Management) to ensure federally funded projects consider floodplain impacts and avoid unnecessary risks.
The City of Gardiner is requesting $1,000,000 from the NBRC Catalyst Program to upgrade aging infrastructure at the Gardiner Wastewater Treatment Facility (540 River Avenue) and the Maine Avenue Pump Station (10 Depot Square), including system upgrades, interior replacements, and a roof replacement at the WWTF. All work will occur within existing structures with no ground disturbance.
NBRC has determined that the Proposed Action’s footprint exists within floodplains and warrants an analysis under the 8-Step Decision-Making Process.
In addition to the Proposed Action, the applicant considered and dismissed the following alternatives:
- No Action alternative: The No Action Alternative would provide no federal funding for upgrading Gardiner’s wastewater facilities, leaving aging infrastructure that risks releasing untreated effluent into the Kennebec River.
Due to the location of the Proposed Action within the floodplain, it cannot fully avoid potential impacts on property, lives, and floodplain function. The grantee has, however, identified measures to minimize these impacts:
Property Impacts: The MAPS will be modified to allow for the installation of temporary stop logs during high-water events, protecting flood-prone areas of the facility. The WWTF follows a High Flows SOP to maintain performance during elevated flows.
Impacts on Lives: The WWTF and MAPS follow a Wet Weather Management Plan for safe operations during high flows, and the WWTF also has an Emergency Action Plan with evacuation and alarm procedures applicable to flood-related events.
Impacts on Floodplain Health and Function: To reduce soil compaction during the WWTF roof replacement, temporary fencing will mark the 100-year floodplain and keep materials and equipment out of the floodplain.
It is the NBRC’s determination that due to 1) the presence of sufficient operational measures to minimize risks associated with each facility’s location in the floodplains, 2) the lack of practicable alternatives outside the floodplains, and 3) the critical importance of the Proposed Action to improve wastewater treatment infrastructure and support the health and safety of the Gardiner community; the proposed action within the floodplain is consistent with the requirements of Executive Order 11988.
Files that document compliance with Steps 1 through 6 of Executive Order 11988 are available for public inspection upon request. Please send an email request to nepa@nbrc.gov. The 8-Step Decision-Making Process materials will be provided in electronic format unless a hard copy is specifically requested.
This notice provides people who may be affected by activities in the floodplain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment with an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information. NBRC is accepting comments on this notice for seven days from December 30, 2025, through the end of the day of January 5, 2026.
Date of Publication: December 29, 2025