A massive grant from the RESTORE Act and the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council will help fund a variety of projects in southwest Alabama.
Fifty projects will be given funding for infrastructure, environmental restoration and economic development thanks to that $315 million grant. The biggest payouts include $56 million for road expansion projects in Baldwin County, $28 million for a new facility at the Port of Mobile, $27 million for projects affecting Aloe Bay on Dauphin Island and $21 million to redevelop the docks in Bayou La Batre.
Funding will also go to help improve sewer systems and eliminate chronic sewage overflows.
That money comes from penalties paid by companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The RESTORE Act established a trust fund to hold much of that money aside for projects that “protect the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast region”.
Officials say more than 400 projects were submitted by various government entities and organizations. Some that didn’t make the cut this time will be considered for funding in the future.