$4M grants to help Kentucky areas hurt by coal downturn

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. – Nearly $5 million of grants have been announced to increase tourism and economic development in eastern Kentucky.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky announced the three grants in a statement Wednesday, which said the money will help develop: unused train tracks into a trail from Prestonsburg to David; a campsite and recreational area on a 15-acre (6-hectare) tract in Royalton; and a waste water treatment plant for 3,000 families and 300 businesses along the U.S. Route 23 corridor between Prestonsburg and Pikeville.

Rogers’ statement says the grants toward the railroad and campsite developments were part of a federal program to revitalize areas of Kentucky hurt by a recent downturn in the coal industry. Both projects are part of Kentucky’s $30 million portion of the 2016 Abandoned Mine Lands Pilot program.