Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Byrd announces $1.5 million grant to the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority

    WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today announced the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved a $1.5 million grant to the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority for water and sewer system extensions that will serve Mingo South High School and additional development sites along the King Coal Highway.

    As part of the development opportunities with the construction of the King Coal Highway, Mingo County is developing a new high school on a site on the new highway, which currently does not have access to water and sewer services. Extending the water and sewer service from Matewan will provide for initial service to the new high school. Capacity will also be provided to enable development of approximately 450 acres in the vicinity. In future phases of development, according to the ARC, utilities would be extended along the highway to support additional job creation and economic investment.

    The Mingo County Redevelopment Authority, through the use of these funds from the ARC, will extend water and sewer lines from the existing Matewan water and sewer systems to the high school site. Components will include about two miles of water line and a 200,000-gallon water storage tank, and nearly 2.5 miles of sewer line. The Town of Matewan will own and operate the facilities.

   “This ARC funding to Mingo County is great news and shows that we moving forward with economic development opportunities that will be associated with the construction and completion of the King Coal Highway,” said Byrd in a prepared statement.

    Byrd previously secured $6.2 million to initiate the extension of water and sewer lines along the King Coal Highway. This $1.5 million ARC award, along with the $6.2 million funding, will extend utilities to approximately seven miles of the King Coal Highway from Mary Taylor Mountain to Horsepen Mountain.

    In addition to the federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Governor’s Community Participation Grant Program is providing $50,000, and an additional $400,000 is being provided by one of the private contractors involved in the construction of the King Coal Highway for a total project cost of $1.95 million.

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