What’s happening: A new grant program from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) intends to support Michigan’s food and agriculture industry in the state’s wider efforts to bolster our wastewater infrastructure. A total of $30 million has been made available as part of the new Wastewater Infrastructure Fund (WIF) Program.
What’s available: Michigan food and agriculture businesses can apply for up to $2 million per project, as part of the program, and the grants will be kept available until the $30 million has been exhausted. The grants are awarded in a tiered system, with Tier 1 consisting of companies with a daily flow of up to 750 gallons per day for a maximum award of $225,000, to Tier 6, which includes those companies with a daily flow of 20,001 and more gallons per day for a maximum award of $2 million.
Who (and what) is eligible: Michigan agriculture and food processors eligible for the grant program are, per a release, “under an Administrative Consent Order, compliance and enforcement action, have a Certificate of Compliance found in a state Groundwater Discharge Permit or certificate of coverage from EGLE, and be in good standing with the State of Michigan.” A range of projects are covered by the program, from sampling and analysis pre-work to construction.
Visit MDARD online to learn more about the application process, eligibility requirements, and more.
Why it’s important: "Under Governor Whitmer's leadership, we're making bold investments into upgrading all aspects of infrastructure, including within our thriving food and agriculture sector," says MDARD Director Dr. Tim Boring. "The new Wastewater Infrastructure Fund Program will assist local food and agriculture businesses to improve infrastructure but will help them move toward climate-smart practices that will protect our environment and public health."
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