NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture • Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. • 2nd Floor North • Suite 200 • East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 • Fax: (517) 324-5225 •
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
CASS COUNTY RECEIVES $10.4 MILLION FOR SEWER UPGRADES
EAST LANSING, Oct. 21, 2008 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Director for Michigan Gene DeRossett today presented a ceremonial check totaling $10.4 million to Cass County for sewer upgrades in Volinia, Marcellus and Porter townships.
“USDA Rural Development is proud to help local communities protect ground water,” said DeRossett. “I congratulate the many communities involved on their close cooperation to make this project a reality.”
Though Cass County is administering the funding, communities from both Cass and Van Buren counties are participating.
The money consists of a $9.4 million loan and $1 million grant and will be used to construct gravity sanitary sewers to serve the developed areas around Finch, Fish, Gravel and West Saddlebag Lakes, as well as construction of a new mechanical sewage treatment plant. The new collection system will require five lift stations and nine smaller grinder stations. This project will serve 714 rural customers.
USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development provides equity, liquidity, and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.
#