U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.1 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds for Wastewater System Upgrades to Support Job Growth in Auburn, New York

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.1 million grant to the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency, Auburn, New York, to construct a new wastewater pumping station in support of economic growth. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

The project will provide wastewater infrastructure capacity needed to service current and future business needs and create jobs in the region. The EDA investment will be matched with $264,270 in local funds and is expected to create 70 jobs and generate $107 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“President Biden is committed to harnessing the full power of the federal government to ensure our nation not only recovers from this pandemic but builds a better America for the future,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will provide the wastewater treatment capacity necessary for local businesses to create jobs and build economic resiliency in the region.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support Auburn as it works to grow the region’s economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment will provide for modern water infrastructure to give the region a competitive advantage in attracting new businesses and jobs, making the local economy more resilient and better equipped to overcome future economic disruptions.”

“I am proud to have secured this $1.1 million to construct and upgrade essential wastewater infrastructure in Cayuga County to support the ongoing expansion of the Cayuga Milk and Denkavit dairy processing plants,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “When I crafted the American Rescue Plan and included an infusion of funds for the Economic Development Administration, it is long-overdue investments like this project in Cayuga County that I had in mind. This project will boost the economy and accelerate our economic recovery. With a new sewer line and wastewater pumping station on the way, these Cayuga County jobs can keep flowing and our local dairy industry can keep moo-ving on up!”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB). EDA funds CNY RPDB to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) mission 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 invests in economically distressed communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.