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U.S. Commerce Department Invests $2.7 Million to Support Disaster Recovery Efforts in Iowa and Tennessee

Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Wednesday, September 11, 2013


WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award $2.7 million in investments to support critical disaster recovery and resiliency efforts in Iowa and Tennessee.

“The Obama administration is committed to helping local communities rebuild in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The EDA grants announced today will support critical infrastructure to get Iowa and Tennessee on a faster path to economic growth and job creation.”

The $2.7 million in EDA investments announced today include:

  • $1 million to the city of Dyersville, Iowa, to make wastewater treatment facilities improvements to support future business growth. The improvements will eliminate the need to pump untreated wastewater into the North Fork Maquoketa River during floods and aims to allow for uninterrupted operations of local businesses during future flooding.

  • $551,459 to the city of Sioux City, Iowa, to provide flood-protected rail access for the Sioux Southbridge Business Park. In 2011, flooding of the Missouri River caused costly disruptions to local businesses, forcing many of them to relocate to the new business park. The grant will fund all site work and grading for new rail track that will service the new business park, which is located outside of flood-prone areas.

  • $1.2 million to the Water and Light Commission of Greeneville, Tennessee, to improve the Greeneville water treatment plant. The plant, which draws water from the Nolichucky River, was severely impacted by tornado and flood events in 2011. The installation of a new submerged water screen at the plant will increase its resiliency by minimizing damage from future natural disasters.

These projects are part of a $200 million appropriation made by Congress to EDA to help communities that received a major disaster designation in fiscal year 2011 with long-term economic recovery and infrastructure support.

Within the context of the administration’s National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) (PDF), EDA serves as the Coordinating Agency on behalf of the Department of Commerce for the Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF) to coordinate the activities of a diverse group of partner agencies supporting recovery in disaster-impacted communities. The activities consist primarily of improved information sharing and the leveraging of existing resources to make a positive impact for communities affected by disasters.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.