Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced that multiple federal agencies will help supply resources for projects happening across the Mountain State, including in our area.

There will also be a couple counties here getting a more than $300,000 boost from the EPA in the form of new school buses. Adam Grygiel, the director of transportation for McDowell County Schools says this funding means a lot to the county, even more than dollar amount.

“Well, I think for the area, sometimes we look at the population and, you know, the struggles we face with the economy and stuff, but I think it tells our students, ‘...You can do what anybody can do.’ It gives us an opportunity too. This county can do what any other county in the state can do. Just because we’re a small rural area, we can still perform,” says Grygiel.

This funding is a part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program that allows schools to buy one of these buses at a fraction of the cost. However, Grygiel says they aren’t unfamiliar with these buses, having temporarily used one during the pilot program last year. He says, while they did experience some issues with this new technology, he is in support of phasing in the new electric buses.

“If you look at the future, it’s the wave of the future. I think the kids will have an opportunity to see what they’re actually going to grow up in. For us, it’s just now starting; when they get to our age, they’re going to have probably all electric,” says Grygiel.

Grygiel says the community has already shown great support for this new transportation. He also says they recommend other counties apply for this grant to receive their own electric buses. He is expecting for this bus to be in use in the 2025 school year.

The grants announced for our area include:

$2,111,357 in HHS Head Start Program funding to the MountainHeart Community Services, Inc. in Oceana.

$2,000,000 in EPA Brownfields Cleanup IIJA grant funding to the Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority in Beckley.

$500,000 in EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant funding to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley.

$365,000 in EPA Clean School Bus Program funding for McDowell County Schools.

$365,000 in EPA Clean School Bus Program for Summers County Schools.

$110,863 in ARC administrative grant funding to the Region 2 Planning and Development Council in Princeton.

$19,879 in USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program grant funding to Bennady, LLC in Northfork.