Governor Janet Mills, at one of the Two Construction Sites in Portland today, With an Unidentified Person.  (Photo Provided by Scott Ogden).

Governor Mills is Welcomed onto Portland Construction Site Today. (Photo by Scott Ogden)

Governor Janet Mills (D) and the first woman Governor of the State, today toured two ongoing construction projects in Portland that will improve the city’s wastewater infrast5ructure and the environmental  health of Back Cove and Casco Bay.

During her visit to Back Cove West Storage Conduit and the Back Cove South Storage Facility, Governor Mills highlighted the importance of careers in the construction industry and investments in infrastructure for Maine people, noting a $25 million investment in water infrastructure upgrades and improvements through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan.

“Improving our infrastructure will create good-paying jobs, improve quality of life for Maine people, better protect our environment and strengthen our economic recovery from the pandemic,” said Governor Mills.  “I was pleased to tour these projects because construction companies like Sargent put Maine people to work at good wages that support a good life here in Maine – and the result of their work is better infrastructure for our people.  That’s a win-win.”

“Maine’s construction workforce adapted quickly to the unusual and unexpected economic and health conditions over the last two years,” said Matt Marks, Executive Director, Associated General Contractors of Maine.  “This project demonstrates Maine’s continued investments in the infrastructure that cleans our water and provides safe travel from point A to point Z, moves along as expected despite those challenges – all work direct and indirect economic benefit.”

The Governor is a strong supporter of Maine’s construction industry.  throughout the pandemic, while other sates closed the construction industry, Governor Mills kept it open.  Her Administration is also investing aggressively in career and technical education and apprenticeships, both through the state budget and the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan to promote pathways into good-paying construction jobs.