Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.2 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Construct a Wastewater Treatment Plant and Support Business Expansion in Estill, South Carolina

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.2 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the town of Estill, South Carolina, to construct a wastewater treatment plant and support spray field improvements designed to support business expansion and create jobs. This EDA grant is expected to create 30 jobs and generate $15 million in private investment.

“President Biden believes that a strong infrastructure is essential in helping American communities recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to build back better,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment in Estill will support local business expansion and provide improvements to create infrastructure resiliency during severe weather events.”

“The Economic Development Administration supports local efforts to boost coronavirus recovery and response,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This wastewater plant and spray field improvements will provide capacity to allow for expansion of local businesses, diversifying and creating a more resilient regional economy.”

“This is big news for the region and the state,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “This funding will allow the Town of Estill to make necessary infrastructure improvements to continue to bring high-paying jobs to the area. I appreciate the EDA’s work to help turn this into reality. The Palmetto State is a great place to live and work, and this grant will help to attract and expand industry in Hampton County.”

“I was pleased to work with the town of Estill to secure this funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce to address their local water issues,” said Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06). “Communities all across this country have been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic and investments like these are necessary to ensure rural towns do not get left behind as we continue to build back better. I applaud President Biden and Secretary Raimondo for addressing infrastructure needs and for their commitment to bringing jobs and economic growth to South Carolina.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Lowcountry Economic Development District (LEDD). EDA funds LEDD 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 the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.