Funds support cleaner water and cleanup

Beattyville, KY – On April 22, 2024, in the newly refurbished Beattyville Town Square, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman presented more than $2.2 million in funding to benefit Lee County that will go toward cleaner water and cleanup of a hazardous site.

“Today, we are awarding funding that will make sure this community has access to cleaner water as well as ensure the safety of our families by cleaning up a hazardous site,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “With the funding we announced today, we are getting closer to our goal of creating that better Kentucky we all want for our kids and grandkids.”

“Investments in our communities provide Kentucky a solid foundation for building tomorrow’s economy,”?Lt. Gov. Coleman?said. “Opportunity is coming to all corners of the commonwealth. As a rural Kentuckian, it is exciting to be a part of building a better commonwealth for everyone.”

“We appreciate Gov. Beshear’s support in helping us advance services for the Beattyville community,” said Beattyville Mayor Scott Jackson. “Together, we persevered through adversity, floods, fires and a pandemic, and by working together, we are building back better.”

Cleaner Water
The Lieutenant Governor presented $1,275,396 to the city of Beattyville, which will be used to rehabilitate three water storage tanks. This will provide cleaner water to more than 2,900 households. This federal funding comes through the Appalachian Regional Commission via Kentucky’s Department for Local Government. Lt. Gov. Coleman also presented $449,207 from Gov. Beshear’s Cleaner Water Program to the city of Beattyville. The funding will also be used for the water tank rehabilitation and improvements at the water treatment plant.

Nonprofit Award
Lt. Gov. Coleman presented $499,939 for the city of Beattyville to remediate a large two-story structure with several partitions sitting on approximately one acre located downtown. The structure was built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) out of locally quarried stone. The city of Beattyville has owned the building since its construction in 1939. It has been a city hall, jail and firehouse. The environmental site assessments confirm the presence of asbestos, lead-based paint, extensive mold and petroleum, which washed into the building from a car dealership during a recent flood.

This funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In May 2023,

Gov. Beshear and Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman announced that 10 Kentucky communities, businesses and agencies were selected to receive over $7.9 million in grant funding to assess and cleanup “brownfields” – industrial and commercial properties that are known or suspected to contain contaminants.