Once completed, new grain storage and transload facility will generate $3 million in annual economic activity in Lewis County
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, announced that the Port of Chehalis will receive $3.14 million to build a new grain storage and rail transload facility to store, load, and unload more grain. The funding for this award comes from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“This grant is a big deal for the Port of Chehalis and Lewis County—not only is it going to support our agriculture industry and local businesses, but it will also help create dozens of good-paying jobs in the area,” said Sen. Murray. “Congressional Democrats are working hand-in-hand with President Biden to build an economy that works for the middle-class and make sure communities like Chehalis have the resources they need to succeed.”
“These federal resources are an investment and vote of confidence in the future of Lewis County,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The new grain storage and loading facility at the Port of Chehalis will support 50 local jobs, develop Southwest Washington’s grain industry, and help more farmers grow barley by increasing access to new and existing markets around the country and the world.”
The EDA award will be matched with $1.8 million in state and local funds and will support 50 local jobs. Once completed, the grain storage and rail transport facility will allow regional grain producers to serve new and existing markets and is estimated to generate up to $3 million in annual economic activity and attract $3.4 million in private investments for the region.
Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell have been strong advocates for Washington state’s ports and transportation infrastructure. In June, they announced $132 million in infrastructure investments from the RAISE program, which Sen. Murray established in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, and that was authorized for the first time ever by Sen. Cantwell in the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021.
In 2015, Senator Cantwell created the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program in the FAST Act. Both Senators fought to secure $8 billion for the INFRA grant program in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Since the program’s creation in 2015, the Washington state has been awarded over $268.8 million.
Senator Cantwell coauthored the 2019 legislation that reauthorized the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) and both Cantwell and Murray fought to secure a historic investment of $2.25 billion for the PIDP in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2022, the senators championed $71.4 million in PIDP funding for ports in Washington state.
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