Three Eastern Kentucky counties will receive more than $6 million in federal funds to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.
Knott, Perry and Wolfe counties are the latest recipients of grants from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Fund.
The grants, announced late last week by Gov. Andy Beshear and 5th District Rep. Hal Rogers, will fund the expansion of an existing wastewater treatment plant that serves homes and schools in Knott and Perry counties.
The money will also be used to extend the drinking water supply to homes and businesses in the Red River Gorge area.
“We are investing in areas that help Kentucky families and our communities thrive, and this funding will do just that by delivering clean drinking water and more to Eastern Kentucky,” Beshear said.
Rogers, the most senior Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, helped create the program in 2016.
“When we invest in reliable water and wastewater in the mountains, it provides confidence for our families, schools, businesses and new opportunities,” Rogers said.
Kentucky has received $300 million from the program in the decade since its creation. This year, coal communities in the western part of the state can apply for program grants for the first time.
The Eastern Kentucky counties the program supports are some of the most economically distressed, have the highest unemployment and have seen the largest population losses in the state.
Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to revive coal production and employment, Kentucky ended 2025 with 3,600 coal jobs statewide, according to the Energy and Environment Cabinet. That’s the lowest number on record.
Federal AMLER grants have helped promote tourism, establish community and technical college programs and improve infrastructure in Kentucky coal communities.
Six states and three Native American nations are eligible for AMLER program funds. In addition to Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Alabama are eligible.
