Dec 5, 2003 3 min read

U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) said the Omnibus Appropriations Report scheduled for a House vote on Monday contains special funding that he requested for several important local and regional initiatives. The legislation is expected to be passed without changes by the House and Senate. Funds included through Murtha’s efforts include: Revitalize downtown Uniontown initiative, $200,000; Monongahela River Mine Pool Study, $200,000; Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Program, $300,000; Greene County Community Center, $200,000; Highlands Hospital Wellness and Research Center, $200,000; and Agriculture Entrepreneurial Alternative for Small Farmers, $500,000.

“These funds will help with our ongoing effort to rebuild the economy of Western Pennsylvania by making industrial and office locations available to attract jobs,” Murtha said. “Areas that offer a good quality of life are also a draw for businesses, so investments in our communities contribute to economic improvement as well as make life better for residents.”

The congressman was able to add funding to the original spending bill for the revitalization of downtown Uniontown.

Uniontown will use the funds to develop a master plan for the city’s park and a potential future park along Mount Vernon Avenue, the renovation of a portion of the Union Trust Building, the acquisition of additional buildings and the erection of a firefighters monument, Murtha said.

The Monongahela River Mine Pool study, impacting Greene, Washington, Fayette and Allegheny counties, has been under the way for several years by the National Mine Lands Reclamation Center based at West Virginia University. The study has been assessing the risk that highly acidic water containing heavy metals will begin to overflow from old abandoned mine openings and run into the Mon River, raising concerns about the water quality of communities that get their drinking water from the river and hurting recreation on the river.

The Brownsville revitalization effort is a high priority because the community has a central location with tremendous historical character near the new state prison, Murtha said. He added that the funds, along with the $3 million announced earlier to improve access to the prison, will help the Brownsville area maximize the job-development possibilities of the project.

The Greene County Community Center, which would be used for swimming, tennis, fitness and other activities, is a priority for the county because of the need to improve the access to recreation, Murtha said.

The Highlands Hospital Wellness and Research Center funding will be used to refurbish a facility that will provide fitness opportunities for residents in the Connellsville area and support a research initiative that Murtha has been instrumental in starting. The initiative teams Highlands with Windber Research Institute in Somerset County study to determine the impact of exercise on research participants.

The Pennsylvania State University will receive funding through the department’s Agriculture Entrepreneurial Alternative for Small Farmers. The program delivers farm and community level educational programs and assistance through the university’s county-based Cooperative Extension Service offices.