Snowe, Collins Push for Quicker Transfer of Excess Military Property to Brunswick

August 7, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Late yesterday, U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan M. Collins (R-Maine) sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to support a critical provision that would help accelerate the transfer of excess military property to base communities, including Brunswick.  Senators Snowe and Collins were joined by 12 of their Senate colleagues, who also signed the letter.  Additionally, Senator Snowe spearheaded another letter signed by a dozen Senate colleagues to leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, of which Senator Collins is a member, requesting that both committees retain a House-passed provision in Conference that would increase the utilization of no-cost economic development conveyances (EDCs) as a tool for property disposal.

“Undeniably, base closures have a devastating impact on local economies, the consequences of which are dramatic enough in even the best of economic times,” said Senators Snowe and Collins.  “No-cost EDCs get land in the hands of communities faster and at no cost to the community, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority will be able to benefit from a no-cost EDC in the process of redeveloping Brunswick Naval Air Station.  Additionally, that is why we introduced legislation to increase the utilization of this vital property disposal method, and it is why we wrote to President Obama urging him to support us in this quest.”

Senator Snowe was joined by Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in introducing S. 590, the Defense Communities Assistance Act of 2009 on March 12, 2009.  Senator Collins is a co-sponsor of this legislation.  A modified version of the Snowe-Pryor-Collins no-cost EDC provision was included in H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.