 U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-5) announced the 2005 recipients of funding through the PRIDE SuperGrant program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 531 program. The grant announcements were made April 11, 2005, during a press conference at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
In all, $2,215,608 was awarded to communities that are working to clean up the environment. Thirteen counties received a total of $1,523,358 in SuperGrant funds to remove large illegal dumps. Three communities were awarded a total of $692,250 through the Section 531 program to expand sewer services.
“Each of these projects is a solid investment in the well being of our people and our communities,” said Rogers. “Almost all of the dumps targeted by the SuperGrants are located on or near waterways and pose a serious hazard to public health. The new Section 531 projects will extend sewer service to 221 homes, giving homeowners the peace of mind that comes with reliable sewer service. In the end, we will all benefit from these projects by having less garbage and untreated sewage entering our waterways.”
The SuperGrant program removes large illegal dumps, such as “old town dumps” that have been around for 40 or 50 years. Counties, cities and nonprofit organizations in PRIDE’s 38-county service area are eligible for the grants of up to $1 million. Since the creation of the program in 2001, PRIDE has awarded 46 SuperGrants totaling nearly $6.9 million.
The following SuperGrants were awarded: $75,000 to the Breathitt County Fiscal Court; $125,000 to the Floyd County Fiscal Court; $275,000 to the Jackson County Fiscal Court; $65,000 to the Lawrence County Fiscal Court; $80,000 to the Leslie County Fiscal Court; $56,100 to Letcher County; $100,000 to the Martin County Fiscal Court; $61,358 to the McCreary County Fiscal Court; $150,000 to the Perry County Fiscal Court; $90,000 to the Pike County Fiscal Court; $150,000 to Rockcastle County; $142,950 to the Rowan County Fiscal Court; and $152,950 to Wayne County.
The Section 531 program provides funding to counties, cities and utilities for innovative wastewater treatment projects, sewer line extensions or treatment plant upgrades in rural areas. The award covers 75 percent of the project cost, and the local entity contributes the remaining 25 percent. Through this and other grant programs, PRIDE has invested more than $106 million in projects that will provide sanitary wastewater treatment service to 25,000 homes in the region.
The following Section 531 Grants were awarded: $291,000 to the Perry County Sanitation District; $154,650 to the Morehead Utility Plant Board; and $246,600 to the City of Monticello.
Eastern Kentucky PRIDE — Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment — was created in 1997 by Congressman Rogers and the late General James Bickford, the former Kentucky Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. PRIDE links citizens with the resources of local, state and federal agencies to clean up the region’s waterways, end illegal trash dumps and promote environmental education and awareness.
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