Nearly $1 Million to Study Westbrook Landslide Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $996,000 for the City of Westbrook to study the 2020 Presumpscot River landslide in the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill.

The omnibus funding package passed the Senate by a vote of 68-29.  It will now be passed by the House before heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The Presumpscot River landslide caused significant damage and property loss in Westbrook.  It is essential that we examine the root causes to prevent a similar natural disaster from happening in the future,” said Senator Collins.  “By partnering with experts at the University of Maine and Maine Geological Survey, this project will allow Westbrook to assess risks and make informed zoning decisions along the river banks as well as help protect the water quality and natural habitat conditions of the river.”

“The City of Westbrook is grateful for the critical support of Congress for this multi-municipal project that will manifest Statewide public benefits. Thankfully no life was lost as a result of the 9/16/2020 landslide in Westbrook, but significant damage and property loss occurred,” said Westbrook’s Mayor Michael T. Foley. “We look forward to working with project partners to proactively recognize vulnerable areas that may be at risk for future landslide action within the Presumpscot River Corridor to further reduce risks to human life and property not only in Westbrook + along the Presumpscot River Corridor, but throughout Maine.”

The funding will be used to study the causes of the Presumpscot River landslide that occurred in September 2020 and claimed more than three acres of land.  The project will also develop mitigation strategies for future development planning in the surrounding area.  Specifically, the project aims to:

1. Avoid and/or minimize loss of life and property by identifying existing development within the river’s corridor that may be susceptible to landslide action and explore options to protect susceptible areas;

2. Protect the integrity of Portland Water District’s 60” water main, which provides water to 20 percent of Maine’s population directly downstream from the 2020 landslide area;

3. Create landslide susceptibility maps to identify where landslides are most likely to occur; and

4. Minimize usage of the State Disaster Relief Fund by proactively identifying where landslides are likely to occur.

By building expertise to identify future landslide risks, the project’s findings can be shared with other municipalities and planning offices to guide growth and development.

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