LONDON - U.S. Representative Hal Rogers (KY-05) announced today that $100,000 in PRIDE funding is headed to help clean up Bell County. The funding is part of $2.3 million awarded for environmental improvement projects across southern and eastern Kentucky.

"This site in Bell County has been active for 30 years," said Rogers, who secured the federal funding as part of the PRIDE initiative. "SuperGrant funds will be used to clean up several hundred tons of appliances and other garbage. The waterways that tie together our region will be cleaner once this filthy dump is gone. We're looking forward to putting an end to this hazardous eye-soar once and for all."

The Bell County Fiscal Court is receiving a $100,000 PRIDE SuperGrant to cleanup the Henry Bowlin Gap illegal dump. The dump located off of KY Highway 1595 and is approximately 30 years old. SuperGrant funds will be used to cleanup and dispose of several hundred tons of household garbage, tires, construction debris and appliances. The site is located on a hillside that drains into Wheeler Creek above Henderson Settlement.

In all, 11 SuperGrants totaling $1,192,800 were awarded today. The SuperGrant program removes large illegal dumps, such as the "old town dumps" that have been around for 40 or 50 years. Counties, cities and nonprofit organizations in PRIDE's 38-county service area are eligible for the grants of up to $1 million. To date, 2,228 illegal dumps have been cleaned up with $23.8 million from this and other PRIDE grant programs.

Eastern Kentucky PRIDE -Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment - was created in 1997 by Rogers and the late General James Bickford, the former Kentucky Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. PRIDE links citizens with the resources of local, state and federal agencies to clean up the region's waterways, end illegal trash dumps and promote environmental education and awareness.