Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Union County Fiscal Court, Morganfield, Kentucky, to make sanitary sewer infrastructure improvements needed to support business and job growth and to build economic resiliency in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. This EDA grant, to be matched with $1.2 million in local investment, is expected to retain more than 900 jobs.
“The Economic Development Administration is committed to helping communities across the nation implement strategies to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This grant will provide the critical infrastructure that Morganfield needs to retain and attract businesses and train local workers for in-demand jobs, creating a stronger economy for the future.”
“We are grateful for this grant funding and the job protection it provides to more than 900 hard-working Kentuckians,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “As we work to strengthen our post-COVID economy, reinforcing our sanitary sewer infrastructure is of the utmost importance because it will support economic growth that will help us build a stronger Union County and a better Kentucky.”
“Leaders in Union County have worked for a long time to repair their water system and ignite the community’s economic engine,” said Senator Mitch McConnell. “It was my privilege to support their effort to secure this $3 million federal grant for strategic investments and necessary upgrades. In particular, the infrastructure rehabilitation at the Job Corps Center and the surrounding areas can bring new opportunity for local workers.”
“This multi-million dollar grant is terrific news for Union County that will enable local job growth while making much-needed infrastructure improvements,” said Congressman James Comer (KY-01). “At a time of continued economic recovery, this funding for local infrastructure is a quality investment that will yield positive results. I congratulate local officials in Union County for their hard work and tireless advocacy in securing this funding.”
This project will rehabilitate existing portions of the sanitary sewer system that serves the Morganfield Industrial Park, the Jobs Corps workforce training facility, and other businesses in the surrounding area.
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Green River Area Development District, which EDA funds to help 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 the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
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.