WASHINGTON (WV News) — West Virginia priorities were secured in three appropriation bills, according to Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
Sen. Manchin's list includes:
Energy & Water Development
I-79 High Technology Park Solar Test Site: $1.9 million to design and engineer a solar test site at the I-79 Technology Park in coordination with Mon Power and West Virginia University.
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration
Anmoore Safety Complex Stair Replacement: $55,000 to replace the two sets of stairs that are used to access the second story rooms in the Anmoore Safety Complex/Fire Department building.
Ridgley Volunteer Fire Department: $875,000 to replace and repair the ageing fire station owned and operated by the Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department.
Amendments led by Manchin
Energy & Water Development
Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization: Directs the Department of Energy to include a specific line item in their future annual budgets for the working group’s activities within NETL and encourages the Department of Energy to allocate sufficient funds from the Departmental Administration Account for the working group’s activities for FY22.
Advanced Fossil Projects in the Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program: Prioritizes projects resulting in significant direct and indirect job creation and tax generation in priority Energy Communities impacted by coal mine and power plant closures, as identified by Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization.
Ethane Study: Directs the Department of Energy provide a status update and expected timeline for release on their congressionally mandated report on ethane production and consumption trends.
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration
Addresses Incorrect Marketing of Opioids: Includes Senator Manchin’s FREED of Opioids Act, which directs the FDA to establish a study to review the enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal (EERW) methodology for clinical trials that are used to approve new opioids. This flawed methodology has led to incorrect marketing of opioids that do more harm than good.
Small-Scale Water & Wastewater Technologies Pilot Program: Prioritizes Rural Water and Wastewater Disposal program funds for pilot projects intended to provide decentralized small-scale water and wastewater services to communities in distressed counties within Central Appalachia.
Military Construction & Veterans Affairs
VA Third-Party Accreditation Criteria: Orders a review of third-party accreditation providers, like The Joint Commission, which accredits VA facilities, and is a much needed assessment of how accreditation providers are passing VAMCs with such blatant failures, like Clarksburg VAMC.
West Virginia Priorities Included
Energy & Water Development
Appalachian Regional Commission: $210 million for basic infrastructure, job training, and to combat substance abuse in southern and central Appalachia, including $15 million for broadband funding for distressed counties in North and North Central Appalachia, including 10 in West Virginia.
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL): $153 million for NETL. Including $25 million for a Direct Air Capture Center at NETL.
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration
Rural Broadband: Language urging the USDA Secretary to prioritize funding within the ReConnect and Community Connect rural broadband deployment programs to areas like West Virginia with mountainous terrain.
Opioids: $24 million for FDA to continue its activities related to the opioid crisis, a $4 million increase over FY21.
Chronic Wasting Disease: $14 million through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for continued research. $10 million will be distributed to states meeting the criteria for continued study.
Rural Housing: Includes $1.45 billion for the Rental Assistance Program which is a $40 million increase. This program helps reduce rents paid by low-income families living in Rural Housing Service financed rental projects and farm labor housing projects.
SNAP: $105.83 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Military Construction & Veterans Affairs
Negligence of Veterans Affairs Employees and Patient Safety: Directs the VA to take disciplinary action against any employee cited in criminal, civil, or inspector general filings, and requires a report to verify that all patient safety standards are being met.
Sen. Capito's list includes:
FY22 Agriculture Appropriations bill
$700 million for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Broadband ReConnect program, which Senator Capito helped create.
$2.5 million increase for the Community Connect Program.
$500 million for Rural Water and Waste Disposal grants.
Congressionally Directed Spending projects in the FY22 Agriculture Appropriations bill include:
$41,000 for the Town of Anmoore – Funding will help improve accessibility to the Anmoore safety Complex and Fire Department building.
$328,000 for West Virginia University – Funding will be used to support a project Investigating the use of telepresence systems to allow STEM instruction or teacher training in remotely located rural schools.
FY22 Energy and Water Appropriations bill:
$30 million increase for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a driver of economic development in the region.
Increased funding for Fossil Energy Research and Development, supporting the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown.
Congressionally Directed Spending Projects in the FY22 Energy and Water Appropriations bill:
$1 million for West Virginia University: Funding will be used to develop a national, standards based, two-year curricular model and educational materials that Community and Technical Colleges may adopt leading to an Automotive Technician Associate's Degree.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill:
As part of Senator Capito’s continued efforts to ensure what happened at the Clarksburg VA never happens again, she was able to secure language recommending security infrastructure to VA facilities.