Students, officials celebrate Earth Day in Williamsburg County

Third-grade students at Greeleyville Elementary joined officials from Williamsburg County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in celebration of Earth Day 2009 on Tuesday.

The celebration kicked off with the announcement of a $684,000 loan and a $796,200 grant to Williamsburg County. Rural development funds will be used to construct 6.75 miles of transmission line and four lift stations to receive raw sewage from the town of Lane. The raw sewage will be pumped into the Williamsburg County Water & Sewer Treatment Plant.

This project will provide infrastructure for sewage collection and transportation to the Williamsburg County Sewer Treatment Plant. Williamsburg County Water and Sewer Authority will be the owner, operator of the system in the town of Lane.

Also during the celebration, USDA Rural Development Acting State Director Herbert R. Koon Jr. presented Emily Washington with an award plaque as first place winner of the “What Earth Day Means to Me” poster contest from Jessica McCracken’s third-grade art class at Greeleyville Elementary School. He commended the entire class for the effort and thought they put into the poster contest, sponsored by USDA Rural Development.