KINGWOOD — Three Preston County projects are in the running for federal earmark funds, including $7.5 million for the Rowlesburg sewer project.
The Preston County Economic Development Authority submitted the three projects as congressional appropriations requests, formerly known as earmarks, to Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., for consideration.
While all three projects have passed committee scrutiny with the legislators’ backing, both senators’ offices said the funding bill that includes the projects has not yet passed.
Projects that got the green light in the proposed earmarks: $7,578,000 million for the Rowlesburg sewer system, $646,000 for Public Service District 1 and $580,000 for Mon Health Preston Memorial, Preston County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Robbie Baylor told Preston County Commissioners Tuesday.
“The $7.5 million for Rowlesburg is going to be a huge shot in the arm for that sewer project,” Baylor told the commission.
Commissioner Dave Price said it was good news and asked, “How does that position you for being able to get it done?”
It means that instead of looking at revamping the existing sewage lagoon, “which is not the best solution” but was what the town thought it could afford, the project may include a sewer treatment plant, Baylor said.
“And that’s going to depend on what other kind of money we can leverage with that $7.5 million in pocket now,” she said.
Price asked whether the sewage project would help with a campground planned by a local developer on land near the Rowlesburg Park.
“Absolutely,” Baylor said. “Right now, Rowlesburg’s got that order from DEP that it can’t add anybody new to their system, so doing work down there will alleviate that, so they’ll be allowed to add new users. So that’ll be a really big deal.”
In addition, Baylor said, before the $7.5 million was announced, the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council gave Rowlesburg $299,000 from an emergency fund so the town could repair some roads that are collapsing because sewer lines were collapsing.
Commissioner Samantha Stone asked for the total cost of the Rowlesburg project. Baylor said the new infusion of money “kind of flipped the whole scenario, so now we’re going back and revisiting what can possibly be done.”
Stone asked for a timeline. Probably after the first of the year, as they don’t want to sit on the money too long, Baylor said.
The state Public Service Commission and IJDC have to approve the project, and the PSC is allowed up to 270 days to consider it.
Price asked whether a rate increase will be needed. Baylor said rates are one of the things that will have to be looked at.
“The less rate increase we can do down there is probably going to be better, but we do need the numbers looked at,” Baylor said.
With a new system, Stone said, “you’ve got to plan for the future for the costs that it’s going to take to maintain a new system and to keep everything upgraded and up-to-date as it ages and what not, so nobody wants a rate increase, but things are not cheap.”
The Rowlesburg project will also include a new influent pump station, new flow meter, flow equalization basin, ultraviolet disinfection system, sludge management facility, supervisory control and data acquisition system, emergency backup generator and decommissioning the existing lagoon system, according to the application.
The $580,000 Mon Health Preston Memorial grant will be used to build and equip “a chemotherapy infusion center and expanded pharmacy complete with hazardous drug impounding room, anteroom and hazardous drug storage. The pharmacy additions allow patients diagnosed with cancer to receive quality chemotherapy care and treatment close to home in a familiar setting,” according to the application.
The PSD No. 1 project “will provide upgrades at the Preston County PSD 1 water treatment plant and construct approximately 5,100 feet of water line to provide fire flow availability and more reliable water service to customers already experiencing issues,” according to Capito.
The projects were submitted by Capito, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
A spokeswoman for the senator said last week that Capito “was proud to request these for Preston County. As a result of her discussions and her hard work with the Appropriations Committee and the corresponding federal agencies to scrub our lists, the draft bills have dozens of West Virginia projects included. While it’s great news that these earmarks were included in draft legislation, a budget deal must be reached first until these projects can be funded.”