Governor Haslam Recommends Town of Decatur for Appalachian Regional Commission Grant
Grant to Improve Wastewater Treatment Plant
DECATUR—Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today his recommendation for a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to provide upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant in Decatur, Tenn.
Funds provided by the ARC grant would go toward improving the wastewater treatment plant, which operates above capacity 40 percent of the time. Currently, there is a sewer moratorium in place and no new customers, including any new industries, can be added until the upgrades are complete.
“Tennessee communities depend on essential and reliable infrastructure,” Haslam said. “It is important to the daily functions of our cities and towns, and infrastructure also plays a key role in economic development efforts. The Decatur project is an obvious candidate to receive an ARC grant, and I am pleased to recommend it for consideration.”
The $500,000 ARC grant will be matched with $1.2 million from the local community. The project will serve 542 residential customers.
The grant was recommended following an application by the town of Decatur and supported by state Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville), state Rep. Eric Watson (R-Cleveland), Meigs County Mayor Garland Lankford and Decatur Mayor Bill James.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tennessee) also supported the funds.
Each year, ARC provides funding for several hundred projects in areas such as business development, education and job training, telecommunications, infrastructure, community development, housing and transportation. Serving 52 counties in east and middle Tennessee, ARC has offered assistance to the region for almost 50 years.
Additional ARC grant recipients will be announced throughout the summer.
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. The commission is a unique alliance composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a presidential appointee representing the federal government. For more information, please visit www.arc.gov.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies, which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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