WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced on Sept. 6 that the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $3.5 million grant to the city of Gallup for water utility infrastructure at the McKinley County Industrial Park within the Gallup Energy Logistics Park. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.
This project will extend water main utilities and well features into new groundwater wells to service the industrial park and support health care product manufacturing business growth in a region impacted by the declining use of coal. The EDA investment is expected to create 440 jobs and generate $80 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“President Biden is committed to ensuring that our coal communities are provided with the resources they need to diversify and grow their economies,” Raimondo said. “This EDA investment will provide critical infrastructure to support manufacturing business growth leading to a diverse, robust regional economy.”
“The [EDA] plays an important role in supporting locally-developed strategies designed to stimulate American manufacturing,” Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo said. “This project will strengthen Gallup’s economy, supporting manufacturing job creation and spurring private investment in the community.”
“To grow new jobs, we need reliable water infrastructure for businesses,” Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said. “That’s why I’m proud to welcome these federal investments that will address additional water needs in Gallup and present new economic development opportunities for the community.”
“It is critical to invest in New Mexico water infrastructure,” Senator Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., said. “I’m proud to support $3.5 million for the McKinley County Industrial Park. This funding will improve water utilities and create good-paying jobs in the Gallup community. This project is another step toward a sustainable future in New Mexico.”
“I am grateful for this grant that will improve the water utility infrastructure for the city of Gallup, support manufacturing business growth, and generate jobs for our tribal and indigenous communities,” Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., said. “We are committed to creating a diverse and robust regional economy for our communities. For us, Nuevo Mexicanos, Agua es Vida.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments. EDA funds NWNMCOG to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.
EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities.
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