Grant

October 5 - 11, 2018

  • $17,688,635 in nine Economic Adjustment Assistance projects as follows:
    • $5,000,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Port of Beaumont Navigation District of Jefferson County, Beaumont/Jefferson County, Texas, to fund the reconstruction of dock infrastructure at the Port of Beaumont. The phase 1 of a 2 phase project includes construction of a bulkhead, the mobilization of equipment, site work, backfill and prefabrication of materials. The investment will support economic diversification, help to strengthen the region's resiliency and ultimately create jobs as well as sustain the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 3,152 jobs, save 12,608 jobs, and leverage $9,800,000 in private investment.
    • $4,800,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Port of Port Arthur Navigation District, Port Arthur/Jefferson County, Texas, to fund port improvements to include the construction of a railroad track, underground storm drainage, and site paving to provide additional storage and rail loading/unloading capabilities in the southeast Texas region. The project enhances the flexibility of existing space to use the same area for both trucks and rail; thus creating a transload area of truck to rail to ship for export. The improvements will increase job opportunities at the port, allow for diversification of cargos and increase exports from the US. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 100 jobs, and leverage 36,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,750,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the McDowell County Public Service District, Welch/McDowell County, West Virginia, to support the replacement of antiquated water systems installed in the early 1900s in McDowell County, West Virginia. The project will serve several commercial businesses and government offices in the area that currently rely on inadequate and unsafe water supplies. The replacement of the system will serve as the catalyst for development and economic diversification in a region severely impacted by the decline in the coal industry, which will help support job retention, create new opportunities and attract private investments to the area. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 99 jobs, save 65 jobs, and leverage $1,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,704,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Benedum Airport Authority, Bridgeport/Harrison County, West Virginia, to support the establishment of acreage outside of the floodplain for expansion of the aerospace industry to support economic recovery from the effects of severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the region. The expansion of the Benedum Airport Industrial Park will leverage existing regional competitive strengths in the aerospace industry to retain and create jobs and directly assists with ongoing economic diversification efforts needed as a result of the downturn in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 320 jobs, save 20 jobs, and leverage $21,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,500,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Buffalo Creek Public Service District, Amberstdale/Logan County, West Virginia, to fund the development of a sanitary sewer collection system along the newly constructed four-lane highway in Logan County. The project will allow for commercial and economic development in addition to assisting with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System. The investment will also help to eliminate a health and safety threat in an area that relies heavily on tourism for its recovery and resiliency efforts. Completion of the project supports job creation that will assist a region in the coalfields of West Virginia that has been devastated by a downturn in the industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,172,635 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Puerto Rico Manufacturing Extension, Inc., San Juan/San Juan County, Puerto Rico, to support technical assistance, training and continuity of operations preparedness for small and medium sized manufacturers throughout Puerto Rico. The project will aid in the recover and growth of the island’s manufacturing sector from the impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and strengthen its economic resilience. The plan will also assist with sustainability in the region and increase preparedness for future catastrophic events. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 3,000 jobs and leverage $3,500,000 in private investment.
    • $1,000,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the City of Bluefield, Bluefield/Mercer County, West Virginia, to fund the development of a 15-acre multi-purpose, multi-tenant development off the I77 Exit 1 interchange on the border of West Virginia and Virginia. The development of this property will serve as the catalyst for development and economic diversification in this region severely impacted by the decline in the coal industry, which will lead to the creation of new businesses and jobs in a variety of industrial and commercial sectors. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs and leverage $11,000,000 in private investment.
    • $540,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Branchland-Midkiff Public Service District, Branchland/Lincoln County, West Virginia, to support strategic planning efforts to identify opportunities and approaches for expanding and enhancing successful Appalachian workforce development and economic diversification initiatives. The investment will assist the region's assets to provide opportunities to generate viable social enterprises that create jobs, attract new businesses, and advance community revitalization to transition from coal reliance. The proposed strategic planning initiative will ensure that the areas resources and partnerships are being used most efficiently and effectively to maximize the region's potential to create sustainable well-paying jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 90 jobs and save 84 jobs.
    • $222,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Coalfield Development Corporation, Wayne/Wayne County, West Virginia, to support strategic planning efforts to identify opportunities and approaches for expanding and enhancing successful Appalachian workforce development and economic diversification initiatives. The investment will assist the region's assets to provide opportunities to generate viable social enterprises that create jobs, attract new businesses, and advance community revitalization to transition from coal reliance. The proposed strategic planning initiative will ensure that the areas resources and partnerships are being used most efficiently and effectively to maximize the region's potential to create sustainable well-paying jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs, save 60 jobs, and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.