Project Will Benefit Nearly 1,200 West Virginians in Mineral County
MORGANTOWN, W.Va., May 14, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development West Virginia State Director Ryan Thorn today announced that Rural Development is funding $840,000 to the New Creek Public Service District to upgrade its wastewater infrastructure.
“When we invest in community infrastructure we are investing in prosperity and resiliency in rural West Virginia,” said Thorn. "By strengthening basic infrastructure for rural residents, we are helping them build brighter futures and creating new opportunities from the bottom-up and middle-out. Having adequate, safe, and reliable infrastructure is the foundation for community and economic development. It makes our rural communities more attractive, economically viable and safe, which helps create and save jobs by attracting and retaining employers and workers. The investment we announced today will have a lasting impact and ensure that rural West Virginia families have every opportunity to succeed." (Ryan Thorn Quote | 256 KB | 30 sec)
Through projects financed by Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans, Grants and Loan Guarantees, the agency is helping state and local governments, private nonprofits and federally recognized Tribes build and improve rural wastewater systems.
The funding will help New Creek Public Service District repair components of the district's wastewater collection system that are in critical need of remediation. The rehabilitation is needed primarily to reduce high levels of inflow and infiltration currently entering the collection system during periods of rainfall. The primary benefit of the extension will be to reduce the amount of wastewater currently being discharged into the environment from failing household septic systems. A total of approximately 1,180 rural residential and commercial customers will benefit from this project.
The investment is part of a larger $671 million announcement made today by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. In addition to West Virginia, funding in today’s announcement will help people living in Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
The announcement was made during President Biden's Infrastructure Week which highlights the progress the Biden Administration has made to improve American infrastructure through historic funding packages such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Under the Biden, USDA 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 healthcare; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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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