Bill to fund emergency operations in Warren Co., water treatment in Edmonson Co.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A portion of funding secured for Kentucky will support a new emergency operations center in Warren County, along with water system modernization in Edmonson County.

According to a release by the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, $541 million in federal funding will go to several Kentucky-focused priorities through FY 2026 appropriations for Commerce-Justice-Science; Interior-Environment and Energy-Water, which passed the Senate on Friday.

For Warren County, the release says $352,000 will go to law enforcement equipment and technology to support a new emergency operations center in Warren County. The center will reportedly also serve as the headquarters for the Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force.

“On behalf of the Warren County Drug Task Force and our local, state, and federal partners, I would like to thank Sen. McConnell for his leadership and support in helping us secure this funding for new drug enforcement offices,” said Tommy Loving, executive director of the Bowling Green–Warren County Drug Task Force. “This investment is great news, as we have outgrown our current facility, and it will significantly enhance our ability to combat crime and address drug issues throughout our region. We have always been able to count on Sen. McConnell as a strong supporter of law enforcement.”

In addition, the release says $9.256 million will support modernization of a water treatment plant in Edmonson County, “bolstering capacity for the Edmonson County Water District as it continues to update its system after decades of deferred maintenance and changes to the Green River following the removal of Green River Lock and Dam No. 5.”

Additional projects being funded include but are not limited to the following, according to the release:

• $2.5 million will go to equipment for a new cybercrime training facility that is underway in Madisonville, which officials say will be the largest police training academy in the Commonwealth.
• $70 million for the University of Louisville’s Center for Bioscience. The new facility will house the rapidly growing research conducted through the University of Louisville Military Health and Biology program.
• $35 million for the University of Kentucky’s Healthy Kentucky Research Building #2. This new building will expand research opportunities with a focus on addressing the Commonwealth’s largest health disparities, particularly cancer.
• $340 million to fund decommissioning, decontamination, and environmental remediation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
• $41 million for construction of a new program support facility at PGDP to replace aging administrative buildings. The facility will also support next-generation manufacturing, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies expected to arrive at PGDP in the coming years.
• $21.281 million to fully fund the remaining work on the Rough River Dam Safety Modification Project, ensuring the integrity of Rough River Lake for decades to come.
• $600,000 to continue an erosion study along the Mississippi River at Columbus-Belmont State Park.
• $7.334 million to support construction of a new water treatment plant in Albany, addressing capacity limitations that currently prevent growth for residential and industry in Albany and Clinton County.
• $4.8 million for modernization of a wastewater treatment plant in Martin County, where one facility is completely inoperable and in urgent need of resources to restore service.
• $7.45 million for Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area to support six capital improvement and maintenance projects at the site, located between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
• $1 million for improvements to the visitor center at Green River National Wildlife Refuge in Henderson, Kentucky.
• $27 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove Asian carp that threaten native ecosystems.

The release states McConnell played ” a key role in shaping the legislation.” The measure will now go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.