Feds to invest $2.5M into Barnsdall infrastructure, aims to create jobs

Barnsdall is getting some help in rebuilding from the federal government, with a $2.5 million grant being announced this week.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will reconstruct a spillway at the Waxhoma Lake Dam to encourage business growth.

This comes after Barnsdall was hit by an EF-4 tornado on May 6, 2024.

The $2.5 million from the Economic Development Administration will also be matched with $1 million in local funds.

The project is possible thanks to the regional planning efforts led by the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG).

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is a commitment to ensuring that communities in Oklahoma and across the country have the resources they need to expand economic opportunity,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will ensure that Barnsdall has the infrastructure needed to grow existing local businesses while attracting others to the region.”

This is good news for the town after learning Barnsdall's biggest employer, NuCera Solutions, is closing for good in July.

• Previous coverage >>> 'Not viable' | Extent of tornado damage closes Barnsdall refinery

Representative Frank Lucas (OK-3) said this investment is essential to rebuilding economic development in the area.
“We all saw the destruction brought to the city of Barnsdall by devastating tornadoes this year,” said Lucas. “Rebuilding the Waxhoma Lake Dam is an imperative project not only to the Barnsdall community but also to the economic development of the entire region. I am happy to see this project receive necessary funding and am thankful to all those who worked so hard to make it happen, including Barnsdall Mayor Johnny Kelley.”

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