The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development has awarded millions of dollars in grants and loans to several communities in Alaska to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.
According to a statement from USDA last week, Russian Mission will receive more than $2.5 million for the purpose of building a solid waste processing facility and access road. Senator Lisa Murkowski, as part of Alaska’s Congressional delegation and the U.S. Appropriations Committee, helped secure these funds for Russian Mission and other rural communities in the state.
“Rural Development loan programs are often the only option for our small rural communities that have limited resources or access to other financial resources. In this particular case, the loan enables Russian Mission to construct a 3.4-acre municipal solid waste facility and an access road, as well as equipment to maintain and operate the new facility.”
Russian Mission’s funding is a portion of the $1.2 billion USDA is providing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.
According to the USDA, the program’s funding can be used for drinking water, storm water drainage, and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
Senator Murkowski says she is “proud” to support basic infrastructure needs in rural Alaska that are often taken for granted elsewhere in the country.
It is unknown as to when Russian Mission will have the funds on hand to begin construction on the solid waste facility.
Image at top: file photo: Lisa Murkowski addresses the 2014 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention.
