Millions of dollars for Tri-City area projects are included in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, a federal spending package unveiled Monday.
The money would go to build a plant to turn ag waste into electricity, extend Steptoe Street, help Ben Franklin Transit, provide public access to Hanford's historic B Reactor and expand Kadlec Medical Center in Richland.
"We are investing in Main Street again," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in a statement. "In the face of a deepening recession, this bill puts federal funding back into our communities where it can create jobs and address local needs."
Murray worked to include the money in the omnibus bill as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Many federal agencies have been operating under a continuing resolution that continues funding at last year's levels after Congress did not pass spending bills before the Oct. 1 start of fiscal 2009.
The bill sets spending for the rest of the year and is separate from the stimulus bill signed by President Obama last week. The omnibus bill must be approved by the full House and Senate before it goes to the president in the next few weeks.
The Tri-City projects include:
-- The Port of Benton's demonstration project to turn agriculture waste into thermal and electrical energy would receive $951,000 to help build and maintain a facility to turn plant waste into pellets to be gasified to produce energy.
"Biomass production is a great way to use the Tri-Cities' agricultural roots to build a new industry for the region," Murray said.
-- Steptoe Street, on the border between Kennewick and south Richland, would be extended using $2.185 million. The street is planned to run between 10th Avenue and Gage Boulevard to provide a connection between Interstate 82 and Highway 240.
-- Ben Franklin Transit would receive almost $1.758 million to expand its maintenance building with six new bays for the smaller vehicles in the fleet.
-- Work to design a public access road to Hanford's historic B Reactor would begin with $190,000. The Department of Energy is working to open the reactor to public tours Saturdays, but visitors will have to take a van to the reactor from Highway 24 near the Vernita Bridge. Plans call for developing a public road from there to the reactor.
-- Kadlec Medical Center would receive $809,000 to expand services for children, including an expanded neonatal intensive care unit.
"This funding is another step forward in building a state-of-the-art pediatric center to serve the Tri-Cities community," Murray said.
Kadlec has increased its employees from 719 in 1999 to about 1,450 now and should have an additional 400 by 2010, her office said.
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Senate's proposed DOE budget adds to tank farm money
Senate's proposed DOE budget adds to tank farm money
The Hanford tank farms would see some relief under the Senate version of the Department of Energy budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
However, it's too early to tell how that could affect proposed layoffs at the tank farms next month.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved the fiscal 2012 budget that includes Hanford, mostly matching the already approved House budget.
Hanford to remain budget steady; PNNL's might dip
Hanford to remain budget steady; PNNL's might dip
Hanford can expect reasonably level funding for the foreseeable future, said Matt McCormick, manager of the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office.
However, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory could face a possible decrease in federal money for its research programs in the near term, which could require some small-scale layoffs.
McCormick and Roger Snyder, manager of the DOE Pacific Northwest Site Office, discussed federal budget issues at the Tri-Cities Regional Economic Outlook forum Wednesday in Kennewick.
2011: The year in review
2011: The year in review
Herald staffers and readers agree that almost 2,000 workers losing their jobs at Hanford was the top story in the Tri-Cities during 2011.
News about the layoffs ranked No. 1 in an internal Herald vote and with readers who follow the Herald on Facebook.
But the two groups split ways after that, with Herald staffers rounding out the year's top three stories with the resolution of the 24-year-old "body shop" slayings and a slew of controversies surrounding actions by local school boards, while readers in the Facebook poll picked the Linda Lusk child molestation case and state budget woes as Nos. 2 and 3.
Hanford investment fund grants will help bring more jobs, tourism
Hanford investment fund grants will help bring more jobs, tourism
New jobs, improved streets and more tourism are coming to the Mid-Columbia, thanks to five grants totaling $300,000.
The Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund, or HAEIF, awarded economic development grants Monday to four cities -- Pasco, Richland, Connell and West Richland -- and the Port of Kennewick.
The HAEIF was established in 1991 by state law with the express purpose of diversifying the Tri-City economy beyond Hanford.
Tri-Cities loses out on stormwater grant money
Tri-Cities loses out on stormwater grant money
The Tri-Cities communities won't be getting a share of $30 million in state money to help keep stormwater runoff from polluting clean water sources in Washington this year.
The Department of Ecology's selected projects of highest priority left requests from West Richland, Richland and Kennewick off the short list.
That includes Kennewick's bid for $600,000 to build a new facility for separating pollutants from stormwater runoff. Martin Nelson, the city's streets and storms supervisor, said a second facility eventually will be needed on the west side of town to handle stormwater issues resulting from new development.
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