CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced funding from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Transportation (DOT), Agriculture (USDA), as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to support economic development, infrastructure improvement, public health, and environmental cleanup initiatives in West Virginia.

HHS FUNDING: Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), announced resources from HHS to improve maternal and child health services, enhance health center clusters, and to upgrade public health infrastructure in West Virginia.

“I am proud to secure resources that will help mothers and children receive the care they need, bolster our public health infrastructure, and improve our state’s preparation for potential public health emergencies in the future. As Ranking Member of the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, I will always advocate for the health care support that West Virginia needs,” Ranking Member Capito said.

EPA FUNDING: Senator Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, also secured funding from the EPA through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to help West Virginia University (WVU) support local Brownfields cleanup projects across the state.

“We continue to see success stories in West Virginia communities thanks to the Brownfields program,” Ranking Member Capito said. “The funding announced today from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will support WVU’s efforts in helping assess, clean up, and redevelop former industrial sites across our state.”

USDA FUNDING: Senator Capito also secured resources from the USDA’s Rural Development Program to provide low-income housing rehabilitation and to improve healthy food processing and storage in West Virginia.

“Making sure our rural communities in West Virginia get the resources they need is critically important,” Senator Capito said. “This support from the USDA will help ensure that West Virginians have greater access to high quality food and affordable housing in our rural areas.”

DOT FUNDING: Finally, Senator Capito announced resources from the DOT that she fought to include in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that will support research efforts to potentially increase Amtrak Cardinal Line Service from three times per week to daily service.

“I am glad to see that Amtrak is seriously evaluating daily service for the Cardinal line, which has eight stops in West Virginia. Bringing this level of service, as well as improving the railroads in my state are some of the reasons I negotiated the bipartisan infrastructure law,” Senator Capito said.

Individual HHS award details listed below:

  • $1,550,586 in HHS funding to the WV DHHR (Charleston, W.Va.) to support upgrades to public health infrastructure.
  • $1,324,524 in HHS funding to the WV DHHR (Charleston, W.Va.) to support maternal and child health services.
  • $1,055,199 in HHS funding to the Monroe County Health Department (Union, W.Va.) to support health center clusters.

Individual EPA award details listed below:

  • $3,300,000 in EPA funding to WVU (Morgantown, W.Va.) to help WVU provide specialized knowledge and guide communities through the assessment, cleanup, and revitalization process of Brownsfields-related issues.

USDA award details listed below:

  • $763,057 USDA Rural Development Grant to Grow Ohio Valley (Wheeling, W.Va.) to renovate a warehouse which will serve as a processing facility for fresh and value-added food products and to safely process and certify farm products for distribution to wider markets. The facility will provide local food entrepreneurs with tools to expand their production of packaged, shelf-stable products.
  • $105,280 USDA Rural Development Grant to the Southern Appalachian Labor School (Kincaid, W.Va.) to help Southern Appalachian Labor School to rehabilitate 10 homes for low and very low-income individuals in Fayette, Nicholas, Kanawha, Clay, and Raleigh counties.
  • $105,280 USDA Rural Development Grant to Community Action of South Eastern West Virginia, Inc. (Bluefield, W.Va.) to help rehabilitate five homes for low and very low-income individuals in Mercer, Monroe and Summers Counties.
  • USDA Rural Development Grant to the Southern Appalachian Labor School (Kincaid, W.Va.) to help Southern Appalachian Labor School rehabilitate two homes for low and very low-income individuals in Fayette County.

DOT award details listed below:

  • $500,000 in funding to Amtrak to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting the Cardinal Line’s service development plan as the first step in possibly increasing the frequency of Amtrak’s service from three days per week to daily.

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