The former Charleston Air Force Station (AFS) consisted of 82.3 acres, approximately 25 miles northwest of Bangor, ME and 2.5 miles east of Charleston, ME.  The Air Force built Charleston AFS as an Aircraft Control and Warning Station which became fully operational in 1952. Its radars scanned the offshore airspace of the Bangor Defense Area, searching for incoming enemy aircraft. The Air Force declared Charleston AFS surplus in 1979.  The majority of the property is currently owned by the State of Maine’s Mountain View Correctional Facility, which houses the Mountain View Youth Development Center and Charleston Correctional Facility (MVCF). A small parcel is owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Former Radar Domes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE or Corps) - New England District will begin a Remedial Investigation (RI) at the AFS. The purpose of the RI is to evaluate whether historical Department of Defense (DoD) operations have left any environmental contamination that could be a risk to human health and the environment.  Under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) program, the Corps is tasked with performing Remedial Actions in accordance with the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to determine the nature and extent of potential contamination and mitigate any risk.  Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP) is the lead regulatory agency and MVCF and CP are primary stakeholders.

Opportunities for public involvement in the RI process and for public review of RI documents are available through the links on this web page.