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
USDA ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $4.9 MILLION FOR PROJECTS IN GOGEBIC, HOUGHTON COUNTIES
EAST LANSING, Aug. 19, 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Director for Michigan Gene DeRossett today presented four ceremonial checks totaling more than $4.9 million to community leaders in Ramsay, Ironwood, Bessemer and South Range for water and public safety improvements.
USDA Rural Development is committed to improving the quality of life for Upper Peninsula residents, said DeRossett. From clean water to public safety, we are working with communities to get the job done.
The Gogebic Water Range Authority received a $1,550,000 loan and a $150,000 grant to install and replace 8,800 feet of new 6-inch and 8-inch water main, improve the Blackjack pump station and provide pressure-reducing valve replacements. The project will correct violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act city by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and will serve 3,023 rural customers. An additional loan of $652,000 and grant of $100,000 will go to the GWRA for a 250,000 concrete storage tank located on land donated by Grandview Hospital and 1,000 feet of 12-main to connect the tank. This project will serve 899 rural customers.
The City of Ironwood received a $12,000 grant for a new police patrol vehicle. Gogebic County received a $30,000 grant for a new Sheriff Dept. patrol vehicle and computer and car video equipment.
Adams Township received a $552,000 loan and a $1,893,000 grant for a new gravity sewer collection system, with 5,200 feet of transmission force main to the Painesdale treatment plant, a main pump station and an additional lagoon at Painesdale with discharge in the Pilgrim River. This will eliminate violations of the Clean Water Act and benefit 103 rural customers.
The events are part of a series of ceremonies commemorating more than $6 million in grants and loans this month for communities across the Upper Peninsula.
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/.
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