Along with the $4.4 million grant provided from the ARRA, the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program will provide a $5 million loan to help improve water quality in the county. The funds will go toward eliminating septic-tank runoff.
"This project is another example of how the Recovery Act is not only creating jobs, but also protecting the environment and providing much-need infrastructure improvements for rural residents," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
Construction on the project is slated to begin during the Spring of 2010 and is expected to take 18 months to complete. The project is focused on an industrial area that has been losing population, and the improvements are meant to bring jobs back into the area.
Along with reinvesting in rural projects, the officials from the Obama administration have taken part in a "rural tour" of the country. The goal of the tour is to hear out the concerns of people living in rural communities.
