Westmoreland County seeks federal funding for New Kensington, Irwin projects
The Westmoreland County commissioners are seeking a total of $3.5 million in federal money for projects in New Kensington and Irwin.
At their Thursday meeting, held in the evening at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township, the commissioners agreed to seek a little more than $1 million to help remediate acid mine discharge affecting Tinker’s Run in Irwin and $2.5 million for site and building improvements at the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park.
At the start of the commissioners’ meeting, the Westmoreland Industrial Development Corp. approved financial guaranty and environmental indemnity agreements required to access a loan of no more than $1 million that would involve federal Environmental Protection Agency funding channeled through the state.
According to WIDC Executive Director Jason Rigone, the loan would help to replace the roof of the New Kensington manufacturing facility.
Formerly an Alcoa aluminum manufacturing plant, a site that encompasses more than a million square feet, it is being redeveloped as a multi-tenant industrial property by WIDC in partnership with the Regional Industrial Development Corp.
The site is about half occupied, according to Rigone.
“A lot of it is in poor condition, hence the need to replace the roof,” he said.
About 50 people attended the evening meeting, held in the park’s activity center.
It was the first of three public meetings the commissioners planned to hold this year at outlying locations in the county, a switch from their normal morning voting sessions at the courthouse.
The non-courthouse meetings were announced after taxpayers at a January session of the county board asked that some be held during evening hours and outside of Greensburg, so residents who can’t travel to the courthouse during morning hours could attend.
Additional meetings are scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 18 in the Student Achievement Center on the Westmoreland County Community College campus near Youngwood and for 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 at the Cedar Creek Park Activity Center in Rostraver.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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