MONTGOMERY —Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a $200,000 grant to alleviate a health hazard in the city of Oneonta.

The funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission will be used to rehabilitate the sewer system in the area of Hillcrest Circle and Underwood Avenue. The ARC grant will be combined with a $450,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded in 2019 by Gov. Ivey.

“For more than 50 years ARC funds have helped eligible Alabama communities address concerns and improve the lives of their residents, and I am pleased these funds will help address an issue in Oneonta,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am thankful for the Appalachian Regional Commission and the positive impact that program has had in Alabama from providing jobs, educating our youth and improving overall public health and welfare.”

Cracks, holes and collapses in the 60-year-old clay sewer lines are causing sewage to leak out. Additionally, inflow into the lines from rain and groundwater have resulted in a backflow of sewage into houses and businesses.

Under the proposed project, sewage lines will be replaced and other measures will be added to help transport sewage to the city’s wastewater plant. The project will directly impact 102 households and 40 businesses in the construction area, while benefitting other residents through the elimination of costly repairs on the system.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers both the ARC and CDBG programs in Alabama. “Combining ARC and CDBG funds, when possible, is a wise economical decision and helps grant recipients undertake major projects,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to be a partner in this project that will benefit Oneonta residents.”

Gov. Ivey notified Mayor Ross L. Norris that the grant had been approved. The city is providing $349,450 in local funds for the project.

ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. The agency’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.

Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Blount County, are part of the ARC region and eligible for funds.

ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.

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Contact Jim Plott or Mike Presley