News

Rural Development lauds accomplishments on Earth Day

The USDA has helped improve water and waste treatment systems in rural America which the agency says is worth celebrating on this Earth Day. Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, assistant administrator of Water and Environmental Programs at USDA’s Rural Development, says the projects have helped 16 million rural residents since 2009. She tells Brownfield Ag News, “There’s an awful lot of aging infrastructure, particularly in water and waste. We’re fortunate at Rural Development to be able to focus exclusively on communities of 10-thousand or less. We’re focusing on the smallest communities in rural America and able to really bring them affordable financing.”

She says the USDA is helping fund 37 projects in 27 states to improve water and wastewater systems in Rural America.

Ponti-Lazaruk is in Missouri today – and is visiting the city of Holts Summit which is partnering with nearby Jefferson City to improve its sewage treatment and overall water system, “But the infrastructure had to be built in order to allow for the additional transmission of all of the waste to Jefferson City,” she says, “So, it’s a great solution that, in the end, will create viable solutions that will meet the needs but also keep costs down for rural residents.”

She’ll also visit a project in Howard County and meet with the Missouri Rural Water Association this evening.

AUDIO:  Interview with Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk (7:00 mp3):