Today, in honor of Earth Day 2021, Alaska Acting State Director Colleen Dow announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is investing $8,579,000 in critical infrastructure to help rural Alaska communities build back better and stronger while prioritizing climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship. Rural Development is making investments in Alaska under the Water and Environmental Program.
“Earth Day is a perfect time to highlight the many ways USDA supports the responsible stewardship and development of rural water resources through the Water and Environmental Programs,” said Dow.
The City of Palmer will upgrade its current wastewater treatment facility to a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) utilizing an $8,121,000 loan and $458,000 grant. The new system will provide a safe and environmentally sustainable means of removing organic substances in the system. Additionally, the City will install secondary clarifiers to replace the remaining lagoons currently within the system. These improvements are part of a Consent Decree issued to the City by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Nationwide, USDA is making $487 million in investments today across 45 states under the Water and Environmental Programs, the Rural Energy for America Program, the Electric Loan Program, and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program. The funding is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the grant agreements.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ak.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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