WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) applauded the distribution of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grant secured last year to support infrastructure improvements and community development projects in rural Mississippi on Thursday.
According to Cochran, the DRA is being awarding more than $3.28 million in eight grants, which when combined with nonfederal contributions, will result in more than a $14.8 million investment in eight Mississippi communities. The grants are the result of a $10 million funding increase Cochran worked to secure for the DRA as part of the FY2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.
“These grants give rural communities greater leverage to put money in place to repair and improve infrastructure, provide services and attract economic activity,” Cochran said. “I am pleased that rural Mississippi will benefit from the additional resources provided to the Delta Regional Authority.”
Overall, the DRA was appropriated $25 million for FY2016, of which $10 million was set aside specifically for basic public infrastructure for underserved communities. The FY2016 appropriation was the highest funding level for the DRA since Congress authorized it in 2000.
DRA awarded the following infrastructure grants:
City of Cleveland – $1,014,000 to support Phase I of an overall sanitary sewer system improvement project that will serve 19,000 residents in Cleveland and Bolivar County. Combined with local and state revolving loan funds, $9,444,000 is available for Phase I.
Lincoln County – $1,250,000 to support industrial access road repairs for the Brookhaven Industrial Park, which supports more than 1,000 jobs. With nonfederal funding, $2,747,491 is available for this project.
City of Hollandale – $450,000 to support a city-wide water system improvement project involving the repair of system deterioration, which affects water delivery to residents.
DRA approved the following States’ Economic Development Assistance Program grants to support community-based and regional projects:
Humphreys County – $307,000 to support a project to establish an urgent care clinic in Belzoni, in cooperation with the University of Mississippi Medical Center. With nonfederal funding, $888,889 is available for this project.
Symonds Water Association, Pace – $156,000 to support the Association’s need to address emergency work to help ensure potable water and wastewater services.
City of Moorhead – $44,232 to support the installation of lighting on the Highway 3 Corridor from Highway 82 to the Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC). This project, for which $633,982 is available, also includes contributions from MDCC and Sunflower County.
City of Lexington – $36,107 to help address health and safety hazards resulting from collapsed sewer lines, which cause sinkholes on city streets and residential backups.
Town of Coahoma – $26,250 to support installation of a Package Wastewater Treatment Plant to help the city meet Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Ammonia Nitrate limits.
