Oregon secures $4 million investment for wastewater infrastructure

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced on August 1, 2024, the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $4 million grant to the city of Independence, Oregon, for wastewater infrastructure improvements to support job creation in the region.

The grant will support the renovation and expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, increasing the system’s resilience to future natural disasters.

This EDA investment will be matched with $1 million in local funds and is expected to create or retain nearly 250 jobs and generate $25 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration knows that infrastructure is crucial to building an economy that works for all Americans,” said Raimondo in a press release. “This EDA investment will allow the city of Independence to strengthen the wastewater treatment system, bolstering the local economy and community.”

The project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Safford Act as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022.