Pennsylvania
| Program Category | # of Grants per state | Sum of EDA $ |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance to Coal Communities | 3 | $5,506,758 |
| Planning | 7 | $490,000 |
| Public Works | 1 | $155,000 |
| Technical Assistance | 1 | $116,667 |
| Trade Adjustment Assistance | 1 | $1,155,374 |
| Grand Total | 13 | $7,423,799 |
Juniata County is located in rural central Pennsylvania midway between the City of Harrisburg and Penn State University. Locally, there is a lack of available industrial space necessary to attract new businesses and allow existing manufacturing companies to expand. This region was highly impacted by the decline in the local coal industry. Because of the decline, the area suffers from high unemployment and low wages. Currently, Juniata County Industrial Park is filled to capacity which shows a demand for growth.
In FY 2018, EDA awarded $1,890,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities funds to the Juniata Business and Industry, Inc., for assistance to provide fiber optic cable to the industrial park and surrounding area, a new access road, a gravity sewer line, a water line, and a storm water line. The Juniata County Industrial Park has 24 businesses with over 460 employees. This project will expand the infrastructure to serve an additional 12 lots where up to 12 companies will locate and employ approximately 230 people and offer family-sustaining wages.
With this EDA investment, SEDA-Council of Governments Natural Gas Cooperative has also committed to expanding into the park. This expansion is creating individual “gas islands” in rural areas where hard-lines do not exist. This capability expands the potential for manufacturing opportunities that didn’t previously exist by providing a “virtual pipeline” solution.