EPA, West Virginia Join McDowell County Officials at Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate New Sewer Project

PHILADELPHIA, (June 28, 2023) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz joined West Virginia and McDowell County officials in Welch today for a ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the first phase of the Coalwood Wastewater project.  Phase 1 of the project will bring for the first time ever public sewer service to 72 homes in Coalwood. 

“Too many communities in the United States and here in West Virginia are still living without the basics—including safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater systems,” said Ortiz. “EPA is committed to working with our state partners and investing in communities so that they have the tools and resources to solve public health and environmental problems while opening new doors of opportunities.”

In fiscal year 2023, EPA will provide nearly $110 million to West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs that support water infrastructure improvements throughout the state. 

Through West Virginia DEP’s Clean Water SRF program, McDowell County Public Service District received a $1.2 million principal forgiveness loan to support the Coalwood sewer project. This funding was leveraged with another $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grants and a $1.3 million WV Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council grant, for a total project cost of $3.8 million.

“For more than a century, the people of McDowell County have made the hard sacrifices to power our nation to greatness, and upgrades to essential water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the community are long-overdue,” said Senator Manchin. “I’m proud to have supported the Coalwood Sewer project that is on track to serve nearly 100 residents, and I applaud the EPA, the McDowell Public Service District and everyone else who played a role in making this new collection and treatment system a reality. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for projects like this one that enhance the health and quality of life of West Virginians across the Mountain State.”

“The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, which we crafted in the EPW Committee, represented the largest investment in clean drinking water in our nation’s history, and was included in the final Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” EPW Committee Ranking Member Capito said. “Importantly, it ensured the State Revolving Funds had adequate funding because states like West Virginia know best how to address local issues in their communities. A great example of this is the Coalwood Sewer project, and I’m thrilled to see this important project make more progress today to improve our water systems in McDowell County.”

“The PSD is very excited to have completed our first wastewater project, Coalwood Wastewater Phase 1,” said Mavis Brewster, Public Service District General Manager.  “For many years, residents in Coalwood have endured issues with sewage backing up in yards and basements due to a failing collection system that was installed by coal companies in the 1930’s. Today we are happy to say that we have a solution to that problem for the residents in the Phase 1 area. Residents can enjoy their homes and properties without worrying about the health issues associated with sewage in yards and the concern of contamination to our creeks and streams. Completion of this sewer project will promote growth and development and will protect the health of our residents and our environment. All of us at McDowell County Public Service District are proud to be offering this service. There is still much more work to be done but we are dedicated to the residents in McDowell County and we will continue to proudly service them.”

In April, EPA recognized the PSD’s Coalwood Sewer Project Phase 1 as an exceptional Clean Water SRF infrastructure project, earning it a PISCES (Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success) award.  A planned phase 2 will provide public sewer service to 136 more homes in Coalwood.

Last month, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced a series of initial actions that respond directly to the concerns he saw and heard on the ground during his visit to the state in December 2022, which marked the Administrator’s third Journey to Justice tour.

Following through on his commitment to deliver solutions to the people of McDowell County, Administrator Regan announced these EPA actions:

Community Solutions Coordinator

Beginning fall 2023, EPA will work with state and local agencies in West Virginia to create a full-time position dedicated to identifying and expediting eligible resource opportunities across the federal government for the state’s southern coalfield counties, including McDowell. The Community Solutions Coordinator will serve as a point of contact for these counties to accelerate progress, increase investments, and strengthen existing networks in these areas.

Air Quality Monitoring

Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan and President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, Appalachian Voices, an organization committed to advancing a just transition for Central and Southern Appalachia, is expected to receive a $118,297 grant to deploy low-cost air quality monitors in communities with air quality challenges across several states, including West Virginia. Air quality data will be collected and made publicly available to foster community engagement around local and regional air quality issues in communities adjacent to one or more coal mines, coal-fired plants, fossil fuel export hubs and more. A portion of this funding will be made available to McDowell County through Appalachia Mountain Flows Corps, a Keystone, West Virginia-based organization.

Dig Deep Right to Water Community Grant

During Administrator Regan’s Journey to Justice tour, he met with community members who lack access to basic wastewater infrastructure, many of whom rely on straight-pipes to carry raw sewage from their homes into local waterways. To help bolster the community’s wastewater infrastructure, the Dig Deep Right to Water Project will receive a $495,840 grant, funded through FY 2022 annual appropriations, for a sanitary septic and sewerage service project. Dig Deep will install approximately 35 onsite sewage systems for properties in McDowell County that are currently directly discharging to streams. 

Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTAC)               

Through EPA’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers, which is designed to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country access funds from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the National Wildlife Federation will receive $12 million in grants over five years to provide community resources and assistance across the Mid-Atlantic Region. West Virginia State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), is a partner in this effort and will continue working to provide additional technical assistance and support to the McDowell County community – from providing training and other assistance to building capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, to writing strong grant proposals, to effectively managing grant funding.