SHAHEEN SECURES $1 MILLION FOR MAJOR NORTH COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen today announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded $1 million to the Androscoggin Valley Regional Refuse Disposal District (AVRRDD) in Berlin to build a gas pipeline from the Mt. Carberry landfill to the Gorham Paper Mill.  The pipeline will supply the Gorham Paper Mill with a clean, affordable fuel supply that will significantly reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and retain and create jobs at the mill.  In June, Shaheen sent a letter in support of the project to the U.S. Department of Commerce after funding for the project appeared stalled.      

"This project is a major opportunity to bring jobs and investment to struggling North Country families and communities," said Shaheen.  "The North Country has been hit hard by the loss of our paper and pulp industry in recent years, and I am determined to support projects like this one that promote sustainable development and economic growth in this critical region." 

This project will enable the Gorham Paper Mill, the region's largest industrial employer, to shift to burning a more efficient, significantly less expensive combination of landfill-methane and natural gas in its boilers. 

The project will fund construction of a pipeline that will carry processed landfill gas from the Mt. Carberry landfill to a natural gas blending facility.  The blend will then be piped to the Gorham Paper Mill.  The system will virtually eliminate the mill's use of high-priced oil, while ensuring the long term viability of a major employer.