Louisa Co. gets $3.3 million USDA loan for sewer plant expansion

LOUISA — On the 200th day since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday highlighted the important investments being made in communities throughout the country and announced an additional $172.5 million in funding for water and environmental projects in 24 states.

Vilsack also announced that USDA has met the President’s directive and has funded more than 200 water and environmental projects since the 100th day of the Recovery Act. To date, USDA has announced $1.64 billion for loans and grants for similar projects. Altogether, the Department has announced $27.8 billion of the $28.0 billion in Recovery Act projects, benefiting people throughout the country. To see additional information about USDA’s progress within the Recovery Act’s first 200 days, visit http://www.usda.gov/2009/09/0418.xml.

“Recovery Act is putting people to work right now while making our communities safer and improving the quality of life for many years to come,“ Vilsack said. “This wastewater treatment project in Louisa County is an excellent example of how the Recovery Act is not only creating jobs, but is also protecting the environment and providing much-needed infrastructure improvements for rural residents.“

Vilsack met with local officials and community residents in Louisa Thursday and highlighted a Recovery Act project that was announced on 100th day of the Recovery Act.

As a result of a $3.3 loan through USDA Rural Development, Louisa County will expand the its wastewater treatment plant’s processing capabilities and improve local water quality.

The project is located in the Central Piedmont region of rural Virginia. When completed, the new wastewater treatment system will benefit 585 residential users and 161 businesses, while also complying with new environmental requirements.

Vilsack also highlighted communities benefiting from the additional $172.5 million in Recovery Act funding announced today. The City of Emmonak, Alaska, for example, will receive a $3.2 million grant to protect the community’s ground water by constructing a new Class III landfill facility.

The existing landfill is an undeveloped, unpermitted open dump that exists on a Yukon River floodplain. Because the access is unrestricted, children often play among the trash and animals feed on it, creating a potential health hazard. Trash regularly falls into the Yukon River, and when the area floods, concentrated waste can leach into the ground.

With the loan and grant money, the City will ensure the safety of its residents and the surrounding ecosystem. The City of Emmonak is located in the Wade-Hampton Census area, which is considered poverty-stricken.

Meanwhile, the City of Shelton, Wash., will receive a $20.3 million loan and an $8.4 million grant to upgrade two major sewer facilities and meet Washington State Department of Ecology sanitary standards.

The current equipment is very old and fails often. The equipment upgrades will improve the efficiency of the City’s sewer systems and also lead to a more consistent nitrogen discharge that will benefit the shellfish population and revitalize the local shellfish aquaculture industry.

The AARA funding announced today is being administered by USDA Rural Development’s Water program. USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Program provides loans and grants to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in rural areas. More information about USDA Rural Development can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov . Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the terms of the loan or grant agreement.