For Immediate Release:

Monday, December 17, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced critical federal funding for Olympia priorities in the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill. 

Due to the threat of Presidential vetoes of America’s domestic spending priorities, Congress combined several appropriations bills into one large “Omnibus bill,” which should pass both houses this week.  The Omnibus package contains critical funding for national needs like transportation, homeland security, education, labor and health.

"This federal support is the seed money that helps our communities grow," said Senator Murray. "I am proud to have helped steer this funding to community-supported projects here at home.  I work everyday to ensure that even though our state's residents are 2,500 miles from D.C., their needs are up-front and center. At a time when domestic and local needs are too often being neglected, these worthy projects are getting the support they deserve."

This spending bill is expected to be cleared by the U.S. House of Representatives tonight and sent to the Senate tomorrow.

Below are the projects included for Olympia. They are separated by project type:

Health Care Projects

CHOICE Regional Network -- $286,899
This program helps reduce inappropriate use of hospital emergency departments by the uninsured and helps them avoid excessive and unnecessary medical bills. The program, run by CHOICE, is called the Emergency Department Care Coordination Program.

Transportation Projects

Lacey Interchange Project -- $490,000
The Lacey Interchange Project funding will help complete an Interchange Justification Report which is required before construction of a new interchange at I-5/SR510 can commence.  There is considerable congestion at the current intersection and during rush-hour, traffic backs up onto the I-5 exit lane. 

Skokomish Tribe Access Road and US-101 Realignment -- $980,000
The funding secured by Senator Murray for this project will help realign US-101, improve the line of sight, create a safe entrance onto the access road leading to the tribe’s new housing development, and improve overall safety conditions along the road.

Labor Projects

Pacific Mountain Workforce Consortium (Lewis County) -- $133,624
This funding will help train qualified foresters and restoration professionals in Lewis County. The funding that Murray has included will train residents in logging rules and techniques such as cutting requirements and selective logging.  It will also help train crews that will perform restoration work after the logging. This training would then allow the loggers to use their knowledge to operate in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Interior Projects

City of Winlock - $393,760
The City of Winlock is building a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to meet a number of water quality standards, including Water Quality Standards in Olequa Creek.  Completion of this project will provide Winlock with the capacity for service expansion, which will help attract business and residential development, as well as to move forward with a planned 648 acre industrial/commercial park that is predicted to create over 2,300 local jobs.  This federal funding will also help lower resident's monthly sewer bills.