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Stabenow speaks on topics of interest to Upper Peninsula

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., speaks during a news conference on the inclusion of a bill on Capitol Hill in Washington Sept. 28. In a Zoom session, she spoke Wednesday with Upper Peninsula leaders on a variety of topics. (AP photo)

MARQUETTE — With the passage of the bipartisan federal Infrastructure Investment Act late last year, many are wondering how the funding will impact their state, region and community.

Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan leaders learned via a Zoom call Wednesday from U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, about several key funding opportunities for transportation, high-speed internet and water supply infrastructure provided in the federal Infrastructure Investment Act.

The federal infrastructure bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November, secured more than $1 trillion in funding to help rebuild and support infrastructure projects around the country.

During the call, Stabenow announced the state has received full funding to complete the Soo Locks project, which includes a $479 million investment from the Army Corps of Engineers. The project aims to build a new lock, which will be similar to the nearly 50-year-old Poe Lock. The project dates back to 1986 and was recommissioned in 2018. Stabenow said the project should be completed by its 2030 target date.

Stabenow and her staff gave greater detail on several programs that provide grants and loans for Michigan communities using funding from the bill. Three major areas that relate to the U.P. and other areas of Michigan were highlighted during the Zoom call: transportation, high-speed internet in rural areas and infrastructure for drinking and wastewater systems in the state.

Transportation

Michigan received $7.9 billion from the bill to be set aside for projects that will build new — or fix existing — roads, bridges and highways, with an additional $1.3 billion allocated for public transportation projects and airport infrastructure projects.

Some of the transportation projects highlighted during the Zoom call included the Safe Streets for All project, which provides funds for local communities and tribal governments to reduce crashes and fatalities, with an emphasis on bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

Other transportation projects highlighted include funding to build new charging stations for electric cars across the state and money to fund the replacement of old school buses with new, low- or no-carbon and electric buses.

High-speed internet

Many rural areas in the nation have limited access to high-speed internet, a vital component of modern infrastructure. To address the situation in Michigan, the state has secured at least $100 million to make high-speed, affordable internet available to every state resident, officials said.

The main portion of the funding will go to the New Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, which will focus on building the infrastructure needed to ensure that rural areas have access to high-speed internet while also making sure that internet providers offer at least one plan that is deemed affordable.

Each state received at least $100 million in funding for high-speed internet in underserved communities throughout the country.

Water

The final topic discussed during Stabenow’s Zoom call focused on funding for water infrastructure systems in the state.

Drinking water in Michigan has been a topic of conversation across the country in recent years, after the Flint water crisis gained national attention due to the lead contamination of drinking water in the city.

The bill secures more than $44 million in funding for drinking water infrastructure projects which include “treatment, transmission and distribution, source, storage, consolidation and creation of new systems,” officials said.

The program, presided over by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, includes an additional $69 million for the replacement of lead pipes, which were related to the lead contamination of Flint’s municipal water supply.

Detailed breakdowns of all of the funds from the program, as well as how communities and organizations can apply for the loans and grants, can be found at www.stabenow.senate.gov/infrastructure.

Randy Crouch can be contacted at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.

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