Coal-Impacted Montana Communities Receive Over $1.1 Million in Grant Funding
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that over $1.1 million in grant funding has been awarded to five Montana communities to support vital public safety and development projects in coal-impacted areas. The funding was allocated to these communities by the Montana Coal Board. The grant awards will help Miles City’s law enforcement, improve public safety and keep the roads repaired in Musselshell County, support road improvements in Rosebud and Treasure counties, and will add improvements to Colstrip’s city hall. “In the last five years, more than $16 million of Coal Board grant funding has been awarded to eight counties, six school districts, six cities or towns, two hospitals and one tribe. The Coal Board has certainly done a lot of good for the people who live in Montana’s coal-impacted areas,” said Scott Osterman, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce.
The Montana Coal Board met in Billings recently to review project applications submitted by several Montana communities requesting financial support for each of the applications submitted. Board members selected the following communities and projects for funding:
- City of Colstrip will receive $31,000 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the Colstrip City Hall audio/visual system improvements project, as well as $40,000 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the purchase of an excavator for the city.
- Miles City will receive $50,935 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the purchase of a new police car.
- Musselshell County will receive $215,000 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the purchase of a new ambulance, as well as $143,500 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the purchase of a backhoe.
- Rosebud County will receive $500,000 of Montana Coal Board grant funding for the Castle Rock Road improvements project.
- Treasure County will receive $189,550 of Montana Coal Board grant funding Board for the Gibson Road bridge project.
“Musselshell County is very grateful for Coal Board grant funding, and highly supports this funding source for other affected counties as well,” said Michael Turley, Chairman of the Musselshell County Commissioners.
The Montana Coal Board awards Coal Board Impact Grants to counties, communities, school districts, tribal governments or other governmental units to assist them in adequately providing services or facilities that are needed as a direct consequence of an increase or decrease in coal development, or in the consumption of coal by a coal-using energy complex.
The Board was created by the Legislature in 1975 and is administratively attached to the Montana Department of Commerce. For more information, visit comdev.mt.gov.
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