WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced a $120,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Town of Boonsboro to upgrade a critical sewer line, which currently lacks the capacity needed to adequately serve the community and is prone to backups. The federal funding will be matched by $120,000 in local funds for a project total of $240,000.

“This investment in Boonsboro’s sewage system exemplifies precisely why we cannot take President Trump’s budget proposal – which eliminates ARC entirely – seriously,” said Senator Cardin. “ARC does good, important work for the people of Maryland, and these funds highlight that. Failure to upgrade sewage lines would result in disaster for Boonsboro residents. We will remember that as we head into budget negotiations and fight for investments like this one.”

“Our infrastructure is in desperate need of repair, and this grant will help Boonsboro make sewer improvements that will prevent costly problems in the future,” said Senator Van Hollen. “It is a great example of the positive impact that ARC has in Western Maryland – yet the Trump Administration has proposed eliminating it entirely in their budget. As a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, I will fight that effort tooth and nail.”

This project will replace the sewer main with approximately 1,300 feet of 12-inch sewer main and create a more direct alignment, resulting in drastically improved capacity. The current 7.5 inch sewer main is undersized, zig-zags, and has inadequate slope to serve the area. The upgrade will eliminate the risk of large-scale overthrows and reduce maintenance costs. An estimated 800 households and 25 businesses will benefit from the upgrades.

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