WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced $3.38 million in new Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grants to Mississippi to support projects ranging from levee construction and water system improvements to an Amtrak platform and job training.

The $3.38 million in federal funding is being awarded to eight infrastructure and community development projects in Clarksdale, Duncan, Itta Bena, Leland, Marks, Natchez, Webb and Yazoo City. Combined with nonfederal contributions, more than $7.2 million will be invested in the projects.

“Many of Mississippi’s communities will benefit from these investments to help improve infrastructure and encourage job creation,” Wicker said. “This Delta Regional Authority-directed funding makes good use of taxpayer funds to support local projects and increase the well-being of residents. These announcements are great news for the entire state.”

“This Delta Regional Authority funding will support immediate and long-term projects that can make a difference in the lives of Mississippians. Combined with other nonfederal and private contributions, these projects can help improve the quality of life and economic outlook for many people,” Cochran said. “I am pleased the Delta Regional Authority is putting this funding to good use.”

DRA awarded grants to the following Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) projects:

• Adams County – $2,325,500 available in DRA and nonfederal funding to support Phase I construction of the Bellwood Levee, which would be designed to make 100 acres of county-owned property at the Port of Natchez-Adams County suitable for industrial use. (DRA grant - $1,266,500; nonfederal funding - $1,059,000)
• City of Leland – $1,132,859 in DRA and nonfederal funding to support installation of a new water well, an elevated water tank and distribution system improvements. (DRA grant - $900,000; nonfederal funding - $1,059,000)

DRA approved the following States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP) grants to support community-based and regional projects:

• Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale – $1,668,903 in DRA and nonfederal funding to support the fabrication and construction of new permanent exhibits at the museum. (DRA grant - $168,903; nonfederal funding - $1,500,000)
• Truelight Development Group, Inc., Yazoo City – $337,300 in DRA funding to support the nonprofit organization’s two-phase project to drill a new water well, connect water systems, and extend service to 40 unserved households.
• City of Itta Bena – $255,200 in DRA funding to support wastewater system improvements involving the installation of 25 aerators in existing lagoons to meet environmental limits.
• Save the Children, Duncan – $250,000 in DRA and nonfederal funding to support the Mississippi Readers-to-Leaders project to provide training, technical assistance and resources for education paraprofessionals in rural Mississippi. (DRA grant - $100,000; nonfederal funding - $150,000)
• City of Webb – $53,788 in DRA funding to support emergency repairs and rehabilitation of the community’s Well 2, which is in poor condition and lacks adequate chlorination equipment.

With a $300,000 combined SEDAP-CIF grant, $1,200,000 is available to support a Quitman County project to install a platform, pavilion and paved area for the permanent Amtrak stop in Marks. This project is supported with $900,000 in nonfederal funding.

The grants, which were made public in events at the Mississippi Valley State University and in Natchez on Wednesday, represent the final round of FY2016 DRA funding allocated to Mississippi. In August, the DRA issued eight grants to Mississippi worth more than $3.28 million, which when combined with nonfederal contributions, will result in more than a $14.8 million investment in eight Mississippi communities.

In all, DRA has directed more than $6.6 million to Mississippi in FY2016.

Congress last year appropriated $25 million for the DRA, of which $10 million was set aside specifically for basic public infrastructure for underserved communities. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Cochran worked last year to secure the $10 million increase as part of the FY2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. The FY2016 DRA appropriation is the highest level of funding ever approved since the DRA was authorized by Congress in 2000.