Published on : Thursday, March 14, 2019
The Governor Ralph Northam, Congressman Morgan Griffith and the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy named 10 projects valued at $9 million from funds derived from the Abandoned Mine Land Pilot program.
The tourism and other development projects include a first-of-its-kind solar project based in Wise County that provides renewable energy to the just-developed Mineral Gap Data Center in the Lonesome Pine Industrial Park.
The Two large grants–more than $1.6 million–were awarded to the City of Norton and Russell County to develop former mine acres into sites suitable for large industrial tenants. The largest project valued at $2 million will help construct a scenic area in Buchanan County for viewing elk and other wildlife. Southwest Virginia also gets $1.6 million for a sustainable farming project. The region also gets $269,000 to construct a mountain bike and ATV trail in the Dante community of Russell County. $222,000 to make improvements along an existing ATV trail located between the towns of Coeburn and St. Paul. The grant also includes $356,500 to Dickenson County to install public water service in the Splashdam community. The new grant involves in $379,178 enhancing the museum and tourist transportation at the Pocahontas exhibition mine in Tazewell County. It also get $47,420 for the Country Cabin music venue in Norton.