Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.6 million grant to the city of Springfield, Kentucky, to make water infrastructure improvements to boost the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission’s capacity to meet current and future needs of its residential, commercial, and industrial water customers following severe storms and heavy flooding in 2019. The EDA grant will be matched with nearly $900,000 in local funds.
“This investment supports the Springfield Water Interconnect Project that is focused on building capacity and protecting against system failures in the event of natural disasters,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This EDA investment will allow Springfield to address the local and regional need for resilient water treatment facilities by making structural improvements needed to increase reliability.”
“The Trump Administration is committed to helping communities impacted by natural disasters develop the infrastructure needed to sustain commerce and encourage business growth,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These infrastructure improvements in Springfield will facilitate the city’s short and long-term recovery efforts and make the local economy more resilient in the face of future natural disasters.”
“Economic development takes preparation and a dedicated approach from many partners,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “As we build a better future for our state and its residents, Team Kentucky welcomes this opportunity to fortify Springfield’s water infrastructure system, which will both help control flooding events and further prepare the community for new, private-sector job creation.”
“From visiting with the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and seeing this infrastructure project firsthand, I know how important this $3.6 million grant is for the community of Springfield,” said Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02). “This investment to strengthen and expand Springfield’s water infrastructure will help attract economic development to boost the local economy. I thank the Trump Administration for helping Springfield rebuild after recent storm damage and continuing to invest in our rural communities.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Lincoln Trail Area Development District, which EDA funds 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 by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20) (PDF), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program (PDF) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.
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.