The U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, has announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will be awarding a $3.1 million grant to the city of Lancaster, South Carolina, to make improvements to its water infrastructure. The grant is expected to provide increased water and sewer access to local businesses and first responders in downtown Lancaster. The investment from the EDA will be complemented by $768,600 in local funds.
The main objective of this grant is to build a more resilient economy that caters to all Americans and aids in the growth of every community, according to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. The funds will help Lancaster build a robust and sustainable infrastructure that can support local businesses and create jobs in the region. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Y. Castillo, echoed these sentiments, stating that the investment will enhance critical public infrastructure for major local industries, thereby fortifying the regional economy.
Representative Ralph Norman (SC-05) expressed his gratitude towards the EDA for awarding the grant to Lancaster and was optimistic about its impact on the local economy and job creation. The implementation of this project was made viable through the regional planning efforts led by the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG). The EDA funds the COG to unify the public and private sectors in creating an economic development strategy to fortify the regional economy, stimulate private capital investment, and generate jobs.
The project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, which provided the EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery in areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act, due to natural disasters in 2021 and 2022. Further information on this can be found on the EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage.
