Mississippi
| Program Category | # of Grants per state | Sum of EDA $ |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster Relief | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 2 | $1,583,391 |
| Planning | 5 | $842,000 |
| Public Works | 2 | $3,370,675 |
| Technical Assistance | 1 | $118,000 |
| Grand Total | 11 | $6,914,066 |
The City of Baldwyn is located in Northeast Mississippi, 21 miles north of Tupelo. A six-inch natural gas line was installed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Due to the scarcity of steel at the time, the line was made from steam pipe rather than steel pipe. This type of pipe is very thin and not designed for natural gas. The thin-walled steam pipe was considered dangerous and the gas line had become exposed in many areas over the last 60 years. The City was facing liability for damages if the line was to fail, and industry and business customers would be forced to close.
In FY 2018, EDA awarded $1,555,675 in Public Works funds to the City of Baldwyn to upgrade the existing natural gas line that serves commercial and residential customers, plus two large industrial parks, to increase capacity and provide reliable service immediately and well into the future.
EDA funding was crucial to this project. The City cannot meet the needs of current and future customers until its natural gas service becomes reliable and safe. This project is anticipated to create 425 new jobs and support 1,439 existing jobs with private investments of $56.6 million.