The Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority in Pontotoc has been awarded $2 million for infrastructure improvements to support disaster resiliency in northeast Mississippi.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is divvying out the funds, which will be matched by $5.4 million from local fundraising efforts, to support upgrades to the solid waste transfer stations, improving disaster preparedness across an area that includes the following counties:
- Calhoun
- Itawamba
- Lafayette
- Lee
- Monroe
- Pontotoc
- Union
“Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, the Department of Commerce is investing in disaster resiliency in communities across the country to help them build back stronger from natural disasters,” Raimondo said. “This EDA investment will ensure that Pontotoc has the modern infrastructure it needs to protect families and businesses while building a more resilient economy.”
This project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act. The Robert T. Stafford Act resulted from Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022.
“I am thrilled to see the U.S. Department of Commerce join the state and local stakeholders in investing in the disaster resiliency of northeast Mississippi,” U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said. “The residents in these counties, who are no stranger to catastrophic natural disasters like tornadoes, will be the ultimate beneficiaries as this significant funding is put to work and as Three Rives completes these critical improvements.”
