Deadline approaching to apply for drought assistance

Deadline approaching to apply for drought assistance.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The U.S. Small Business Administration says the deadline is approaching for small businesses in certain Tennessee and Kentucky counties to seek disaster loans stemming from drought that began in October.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 15.
In Tennessee, the loans are available in Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Fentress, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putman, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson and Wilson counties.
The loans are available in Allen, Bell, Christian, Clinton, Cumberland, Logan, McCreary, Monroe, Simpson, Todd, Wayne and Whitley counties in Kentucky.
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Deadline near to apply for drought relief

Deadline near to apply for drought relief.
The deadline for filing for federal economic injury disaster loans in Campbell, Claiborne and Scott counties is July 24, the U.S. Small Business Administration said in a news release.
The loans were made available as a result of the 2016 drought in Kentucky.
“These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Kentucky.
Under the declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and non-farm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought.
The loans are for working capital and can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 3.125 percent for eligible small businesses and 2.5 percent for nonprofit organizations, and terms up to 30 years.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard of hearing) or by e-mailing to disastercustomerservice @sab.gov.
Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than July 24.
Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for emergency loans.
A total of 68 counties in Kentucky were declared disaster areas because of the drought at various dates and 1,670 counties were declared nationally.

Butte County declares drought emergency

Butte County declares drought emergency.
BELLE FOURCHE — The Butte County Commission declared Tuesday that current drought conditions have created a natural disaster within the county.
Melissa Smith, a hydrologist with the weather service, said that over the last 60 days, the Belle Fourche and Spearfish areas have gotten approximately three inches less than average amounts of precipitation for this time of year.
As you go north and east into the state, Smith said, the drought conditions worsen substantially.
“The worst part of the state right now is north-central South Dakota and up into North Dakota,” she said.
The lack of consistent precipitation has resulted in the lack of rainwater runoff and caused livestock ponds, dams, and natural water holes to become severely depleted and abnormally low subsoil moisture, resulting in widespread crop losses.
Drought conditions have had a detrimental effect on the production capabilities of the agricultural industry, which, in turn, severely affects the local economy.
According to the most recent scale released Thursday, 83.68 percent of the state is under a D0-D4 rating, up from 46.97 percent at this time, last year.
Most of Butte County is currently under a D0 rating, indicating abnormally dry conditions, with the exception of the southeast corner of Butte County, which is under a D1 rating, designating moderate drought conditions.
Through the rest of June and into early July, the National Weather Service is forecasting persistent above-average temperatures and below average-precipitation.

Drought Disaster Loan Deadline is Today

Drought Disaster Loan Deadline is Today.
Today is the deadline for business owners in fifteen Alabama counties to get drought relief from Washington.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is taking applications for loans of up to two million dollars at four percent interest.
The money would go to business owners who can prove they lost income because of the extreme drought conditions last year.
SBA spokesman Jay McKenna says these loans aren’t for ranchers or farmers, who can get help from other federal agencies.
“We would help those businesses that were impacted, such as the farm implement dealer, the furniture retailer, and stores of that sort that may have been affected because the farmer or rancher was not able to make the purchases they normally would in that community.” McKenna says the SBA money can be used for things like accounts payable or payroll while a business gets back on its feet.
The Alabama counties in which business owners can apply for an SBA drought disaster loan are Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, Tuscaloosa and Walker.

Feds offer loans to farmers affected by drought

Feds offer loans to farmers affected by drought.
LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Drought relief is in sight for local farmers — and we’re not talking about rain.
The loans are also offered to most private nonprofit organizations.
The disaster declaration includes the following counties: Baker, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Duval, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Martin, Nassau, Orange, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Saint Lucie, Seminole and Volusia.
Droughts like these are game changers for former Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell, who owns 31 Produce.
"We’re using much more water than we’ve ever used," he said.
The cost to water his crops is costing Greenwell four times as much.
"Financially, it doesn’t even out," says Paige Greenwell.
Under the declaration, the SBA’s disaster loans apply to those effected starting March 21.
Interest rates for private nonprofit organizations are 2.5 percent and 3.150 percent for small businesses with terms of up to 30 years.

Deadline to apply for drought aid approaching

Deadline to apply for drought aid approaching.
Small businesses and agricultural cooperatives seeking financial assistance in the wake of last year’s devastating drought have until May 15 to apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Aid is available to farm-related and nonfarm-related entities under the agency’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which provides loans of up to $2 million with 4 percent interest rates for small businesses and 2.6 percent rates for nonprofit organizations.
Terms are up to 30 years.
The program is open to farmers in New York counties that received disaster declarations.
They are: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Wyoming counties.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers.
Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Deadline for applying for federal disaster drought loans in St. Lawrence County is May 30

Deadline for applying for federal disaster drought loans in St. Lawrence County is May 30.
A federal agency is reminding St. Lawrence County businesses, agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations that May 30 is the deadline to file for disaster loans due to the drought that began on April 1, 2016.
Under this declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers.
Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster.
Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than May 30, 2017.

Drought disaster loans available in Maryland

Drought disaster loans available in Maryland.
ATLANTA — The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland as a result of the drought between May 1 and Dec. 10, 2016.
The loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations.
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA can’t provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers.
Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Information and application forms can also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

EPA Considers Repealing Another Obama-Era Coal Regulation

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt told business advocates the agency will reconsider a rule utilities worry could force more coal-fired power plants to close.
Pruitt was responding to a petition sent by the Utility Water Action Group (UWAG), urging the Trump administration to rescind its “Effluent Limitations Guidelines” for coal-fired power plants.
UWAG argues the regulation will “cause negative impacts on jobs due to the excessive costs of compliance – which were grossly underestimated by EPA – and regulatory burdens forcing plant closures.” UWAG said EPA underestimated the rule’s costs and withheld records about the rulemaking from utilities who would have to comply with the rule, which the agency estimates could cost up to $2.5 billion a year.
“To an unprecedented extent, the Agency withheld fundamental information purporting to justify the Rule, UWAG argued, adding that included “pages of the record that demonstrably were not entitled to confidential treatment.” The EPA said in legal filings it withheld records to protect confidential business information.
Pruitt said EPA would reconsider the ELG rule based on UWAG’s concerns.
President Donald Trump promised to lessen regulations on coal mines to put miners back to work.
Aside from arguing EPA improperly withheld data on how they came up with the rule, plaintiffs argued the agency didn’t perform proper testing to see if requiring coal plants to install new equipment would meet federal pollution guidelines.
Environmentalists fought to keep the rule in place, and Pruitt can expect legal challenges if EPA tries to repeal the ELG rule.
“Trump claimed he wanted EPA to go ‘back to basics’ and focus on clean air and water in his Administration, but one of the first actions by his EPA Administrator is an attempt to gut an important water pollution safeguard,” Hitt said.
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