U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $15.4 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Bolster Infrastructure for Business and Job Growth in West Virginia

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $15.4 million in American Rescue Plan grants to support West Virginia as it recovers from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

• Pocahontas Public Service District, Durbin, will receive an $8 million grant to provide expanded water service for Pocahontas County and the Snowshoe Resort. The EDA investment will be matched with $2.7 million in local funds and is expected to create 33 jobs, retain 1,307 jobs and generate $16 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

• Logan County Public Service District, Logan, will receive a $6.1 million grant for construction of a new water treatment plant. The EDA investment will be matched with $1.5 million in local funds and is expected to create 209 jobs, retain 416 jobs and generate $25 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
• Boone Memorial Hospital, Inc., Madison, will receive a $1.3 million grant to construct and establish the Madison Farmers Market and Greenhouse. The EDA investment will be matched with $324,563 in local funds and is expected to create 136 jobs and retain 23 jobs, according to grantee estimates.

“President Biden is committed to providing West Virginia communities with the resources they need to recover from the pandemic and build a better America in the process,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These EDA investments will provide for water infrastructure upgrades and a new farmers market to support job creation and business development in a state impacted by the declining use of coal.”

“The Economic Development Administration is dedicated to working with communities to support their locally-driven strategies to recover and rebuild from the pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “We are pleased to partner with stakeholders throughout West Virginia to provide vital infrastructure and small business opportunities that will help create jobs and build resiliency for decades to come.

“The American Rescue Plan continues to deliver critical investments for our communities that spur economic development and create good-paying, long-term jobs,” said Senator Joe Manchin. “I’m pleased the EDA is investing more than $15 million to expand water service in Pocahontas County, construct a new water treatment plant in Logan County and establish a farmers market and greenhouse in Boone County. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding for years to come, and I will continue working with the EDA to boost economic growth across the Mountain State.”

The Logan County project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Region 2 Planning and Development Council. EDA funds this organization 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.

These projects are 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.

EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities. 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 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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.