WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a $1.9 million investment to create jobs and spur economic growth in communities impacted by the changing coal economy. The investment, through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, will help fund worker training programs and spur community investment in Athens and Washington Counties.

Projects awarded funding include:

  • $1.2 million for the Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s Innovation Gateway Network of Appalachian Ohio project. The Innovation Gateway Network will create career centers in Somerset, Nelsonville, and Marietta to connect workers with jobs and provide training for workers and students. The project is estimated to help connect 205 people with jobs and help students obtain high school diplomas and associate’s degrees.
  • $450,000 for the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth’s (APEG) Appalachian Ohio Community Development Financial Institution project. The project, based out of Nelsonville, will allow APEG to work with local organizations and private lenders to secure funding for southeast Ohio businesses to grow and create jobs. The project is expected to create or retain 227 jobs and leverage $2.75 million of private investment.
  • $300,000 for Ohio University’s (OU) Social Enterprise Ecosystem project. OU will work to foster more social enterprises in the region, which seek to address community issues through a market-driven approach. The project is expected to help launch 12 social enterprises as well as create 20 jobs. 

“As America’s energy sector changes, we need to ensure that Ohioans whose jobs rely on the coal industry have the training they need to pursue new opportunities,” said Brown. “These federal investments will help support the Athens and Washington County organizations working to promote economic development in the region and help workers secure jobs in emerging industries.”

“Each one of these awards is a blueprint for new jobs, fresh opportunities, and a robust economic future for Ohio,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Earl F. Gohl.  “Together, these investments bring added capital into the Region, and help Appalachia prepare to globally compete in manufacturing, technology, construction, and a variety of other industry sectors.”

In March, Brown reintroduced legislation, the RECLAIM Act, to invest in Ohio’s coal communities to create jobs and spur economic growth.  The legislation will promote economic growth and job creation by reclaiming abandoned mining lands and restoring these lands and waters to develop them for future use. The RECLAIM Act aims to support the development of new economic and community development opportunities in impacted coal communities by utilizing $1 billion in existing funds from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to direct toward these communities.

Yesterday, Brown urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), while President Trump’s budget proposes eliminating it entirely. For more than fifty years, ARC has provided funding and support for job-creating community projects across Ohio and 12 other Appalachian states, producing an average of $204 million in annual earnings for a region often challenged by economic underdevelopment.

Since its inception in 1965, ARC has invested in this underserved region and generated over 300,000 jobs and $10 billion for the 25 million Americans in Appalachia. Brown has spoken out against these cuts.

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