Appalachian coal towns get $39M federal boost aimed at revitalization

Efforts to diversify and revive communities hurt by the decline of coal mining and coal-fired power plants across Appalachia received $38.8 million in federal funding Wednesday.

The money is part of the POWER initiative, which stands for Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization. It is the economic development piece of the Obama administration’s effort to tackle the legacy of coal in impacted communities.

More than $7 million will go toward establishing a college of optometry in Kentucky to train health care workers and increase vision services to the population there. Nearly $2.3 million will be used to build a new business center in Buckhannon, W.Va.

In Ohio, $2 million will be devoted to several “innovation hubs” and other resources for entrepreneurs. Out-of-work coal miners in Texas will be retrained for manufacturing jobs.

Read more: http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/08/24/Appalachian-coal-towns-get-39M-federal-boost-aimed-at-revitalization/stories/201608240201