Kelly announces $4 million in Community Project Funding for Western Pa. approved by U.S. House

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) announced nearly $4 million in Community Project Funding (CPF) grants have been approved for projects within Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District. The projects were included in the legislation passed by the U.S. House on Thursday.

"These projects represent real, tangible investments in essential water and sewer infrastructure that will significantly benefit communities across the 16th Congressional District," Kelly said. "Each of these projects will address critical public health, environmental, and reliability concerns. As my team and I reviewed this year's applications, our priority was ensuring Pennsylvania taxpayers received the strongest return on their investment, and I'm confident these projects accomplish exactly that."



Rep. Kelly's FY2026 Community Project Funding that will receive funding:

Meadville Area Sewer Authority - Amount: $750,000

This project would replace Meadville's aging force main that is 14" with a 16" pipe. The newly installed line will replace the aging and disintegrating force main currently in use. Replacing the aging pipe will preserve the ecological diversity of French Creek by eliminating any possible sewage infiltration and will also provide a joint municipal sewer system for Meadville and Vernon Townships.

Hermitage Municipal Authority - Amount: $913,600

This project would demolish the existing Wheatland Pump Station and install 1,100 linear feet of sewer lines to divert the flow to the existing Council Avenue Pump Station. The existing Wheatland Pump Station has reached the end of its 50-year lifespan and presents environmental hazards from storm water inflow and infiltration that cause pollution of the nearby river and/or sewage backups in homes and businesses.

Cranberry Township - Amount: $1,000,000

This project would complete the replacement of the waterline along Route 19 in Cranberry Township. The existing waterline is at a high risk of failing due to age, amount of line breaks per segment, and the number of customers affected by this line. Cranberry Township's water system provides an average of 2.5 million gallons per day and serves approximately 11,000 customers. This phase of the project will replace 2,100 linear feet of 12-inch waterline and 2,300 linear feet of 8-inch waterline.


Chicora Borough - Amount: $1,250,000

This project would upgrade and repair the outdated drinking water plant. The existing plant was constructed of repurposed filtration and storage tanks from industrial installations donated to the Borough and is past the expected service life for these parts. Chicora provides potable water service to approximately 1,100 people in the Borough, including an elementary school.

Of the fifteen (15) requests Rep. Kelly was allotted, four (4) were included in the spending package passed this week. Another three projects were passed in November, when Kelly announced $2.5 million in Community Project Funding for three local volunteer fire departments.

Rep. Kelly's additional requests remain under consideration.



BACKGROUND
Congressional leaders resumed Community Project Funding (CPF), formerly known as 'earmarks', for the 119th Congress. With increased transparency and stricter guidelines, lawmakers were permitted to submit up to fifteen (15) funding requests during the appropriations process. Rep. Kelly fielded input from local leaders throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania before selecting these projects.

Details on CPF rules and guidelines can be found here.

In 2020, Rep. Kelly also delivered two BUILD Grants for the 16th Congressional District, including $25 million for improvements along State Route 228 in Butler County, and $21 million for the City of Erie's Bayfront Parkway Project. In 2018, he also secured a BUILD Grant for the State Route 228 project worth $20 million.