NAVY AGREES TO COLLINS LEAD PAINT REMOVAL REQUEST AT CUTLER

Washington, DC -- Senator Susan Collins received notice from the U.S. Navy today that it will continue funding efforts to remove PCB and lead contaminated paint from radio towers at the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station in Cutler. The announcement comes in response to a letter that Senator Collins wrote to the Chief of Naval Operations last week, asking that the project receive full and prompt support.

"This ongoing situation at Cutler has been of great environmental and personal concern to those who work and live on or near the base. I am hopeful that the Navy's continues its support for the removal project, so people are no longer exposed to the danger of contaminated paint literally hanging over their heads," said Senator Collins.

This marks the fourth year of the removal project. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2007. It was in 1997 that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency discovered that deteriorating paint on five Very Low Frequency towers at NCTS Cutler were contaminated.

The Navy is expected to fund the paint removal project this year at $5.4 million.