Fed money coming here

Millions allotted for military, transportation

Friday, Dec. 18, 2009

The fiscal year 2010 federal omnibus spending bill that awaits President Barack Obama's signature includes millions of dollars headed to Southern Maryland for a range of social service programs, oyster replenishment initiatives, highway and mass transit projects, public safety investments and a new engineering facility at Webster Field.

The U.S. Senate gave final approval to the $1.1 trillion package on Sunday, following the House of Representatives' passage several days earlier.

All told, Maryland is set to rake in more than $900 million, including nearly $100 million for some 70 "pork" projects in which local lawmakers sought federal money.

The local earmarks, which are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as other budget items, benefit a variety of big institutions and feel-good organizations.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said the federal investments will "provide an important boost" to valuable programs and needy citizens.

The largest sum — more than $11 million — will go toward the construction of an additional Special Communications Engineering Facility at the St. Inigoes installation.

The federal government will pour $1.25 million into new or expanded commuter bus parking lots in Southern Maryland, which serve approximately 7,200 riders daily.

The spending bill also includes $750,000 apiece for two major road projects in the region. One is the upgrade of Route 4 on both sides of the Gov. Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, which aims to ease congestion and boost safety. The money will also be used for right-of-way acquisitions for the eventual expansion or overhaul of the two-lane bridge.

The same amount will be spent on planning and right-of-way acquisitions along the U.S. 301 corridor as part of the long-discussed Waldorf bypass.

Money is also earmarked for the purchase of mobile data terminals for Calvert County that will allow the sheriff's office to more effectively communicate and share data. The same amount — $500,000 — has been set aside for the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office to purchase dashboard video cameras and other technology.

The spending bill also includes money for a variety of other Southern Maryland initiatives:

ï $500,000 to support the Alliance for Coastal Technologies, a consortium of research institutions, state and regional resource managers and private sector companies focused on developing sensor technologies for analyzing coastal environments. It is based at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratories in Solomons.

ï $200,000 for the Oyster Hatchery Economic Pilot Program at the Morgan State University Estuarine Research Center in St. Leonard to increase hatchery efficiency and replenish the oyster population, while giving local waterman more power in the industry.

ï $600,000 to purchase laboratory equipment for scientific research being performed at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

ï $400,000 to purchase equipment for three clinical simulation laboratories in the College of Southern Maryland's nursing training program that aims to address the nursing workforce shortage.

ï $375,000 to complete unfinished aspects of the new Project ECHO Homeless Shelter in Prince Frederick.

ï $292,200 to install plumbing in up to 250 low-income homes in Charles County.

ï $250,000 to establish a health, wellness and dental center at a community center in Bel Alton, where at-risk populations would be able to receive preventive and routine medical services.

ï $60,000 for the "Safe Nights" Program operated by Lifestyles of Maryland, Inc., which provides temporary shelter, clothes, food, financial management assistance, career counseling, housing searches and life-skills development for homeless Charles County residents.

The bill also includes money for several district-wide initiatives, including $3 million to restore the Chesapeake Bay's declining oyster population, $350,000 to renovate the homes of disadvantaged elderly residents where falls could occur and $300,000 for Best Buddies Maryland, which promotes the social integration of mentally-challenged youths and adults.

The bill also includes $150 million for safety upgrades to the Washington Metrorail system, which has come under scrutiny since a June train crash killed nine people and injured dozens more.

And there's $3 million dedicated for preliminary engineering of the Purple Line project, which would connect Bethesda to New Carrollton over 16 miles of light rail at a cost of about $1.67 billion.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Oral Health received $1.2 million in federal funding to implement an educational campaign on the importance of dental care — primarily targeting low-income, high-risk families.

After a 12-year-old Prince George's County boy died in February 2007 from a brain infection caused by a tooth abscess, the Dental Action Committee formed, and is now partnering with the University of Maryland School of Public Health on a statewide oral health campaign.

The Maryland Food Bank also received $492,000 in federal funding, which it will use to buy three refrigerated trucks, upgrade office spaces and install a new roof at the food bank's Baltimore distribution center, according to a press release.

Staff writer Erin Cunningham contributed to this report.