Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan

BST Associates 

June 1, 2015 

Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan 

Page 82 

capital facilities, land use, permitting, feasibility, marketing, project engineering, design, site 

planning and project debt and revenue impacts. When considering planning applications, the 

Board will give priority to those projects which could ultimately result in a type of project 

eligible for CERB construction funds.  

Rural communities may receive loans and grants for public infrastructure to enable future 

business development. Jurisdictions in rural counties and rural communities may apply for the 

Prospective Development program if an economic feasibility study demonstrates that private 

business development is likely to occur as a result of the public improvements. Other 

requirements include: evidence from an economic feasibility study that the project will lead to 

the creation of a significant number of permanent jobs or generate significant private capital 

investment.  Applicants must also demonstrate the need for CERB assistance and that no other 

timely source of funds is available at a reasonably similar rate to the current CERB rate.   

Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund 

The Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund facilitates public and private sector cleanup and 

redevelopment of commercial or industrial brownfield properties that are idled, underutilized 

or abandoned as a result of contamination (real or perceived).  Much of the technical assistance 

provided by Commerce's Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (BRLF) involves getting sites ready 

for development. Potential sites are analyzed to determine whether a site’s local economy will 

grow enough to assure successful redevelopment. Sites located within sufficient growth 

markets are put into the BRLF “Pipeline.”   

Washington State Parks 

Washington State Parks administers the Clean Vessel Act funding, which is a federal 

program.   

In 1992, Congress passed the Clean Vessel Act to help reduce pollution from vessel sewage 

discharges into U.S. waters. The grant program established by the Act funds the construction, 

renovation, operation and maintenance of pumpouts and dump stations for use by recreational 

boaters. As part of its commitment to provide clean, safe and enjoyable recreational boating in 

Washington, the State Parks Boating Programs Office serves as the grant coordinator for 

Washington. The program also provides educational outreach to promote public awareness 

about boat sewage and its proper disposal.  

The Clean Vessel Act grant funds are available to both the public and private sector boating 

facility operators. This includes governmental entities and private businesses operating public 

boating facilities in Washington State. In order to qualify for a grant the pumpout must be 

available to recreational boaters during the facilities normal business hours.  

The grant will reimburse recipients for up to 75% of the installed cost of pumpouts and 

dump stations. This includes the cost of new equipment, renovation of existing equipment, 

pumps, piping, lift stations, on-site holding tanks, pier or dock modifications, signs, permits 

and other miscellaneous equipment needed for a complete and efficient disposal system. The 

grant will not pay for the construction or renovation of upland restroom facilities, sewage 

treatment plants, septic tanks, leach fields, private and municipal treatment plants or other 

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BST Associates 

June 1, 2015 

Port of Kalama Comprehensive Plan 

Page 83 

special treatment devices. The grant also will reimburse 75% of the facilities allowable annual 

operation and maintenance expenses. Floating restrooms may not be attached to shore or to any 

structure that is attached to shore. 

Grant recipients are responsible for at least 25% of the installed cost of pumpout and dump 

station facilities provided for under the grant program. This 25% match can be the fair market 

value of any labor or materials provided, cash, or a combination thereof. Grant money cannot 

be used to pay for costs of pumpout stations installed before a grant agreement is signed by 

both parties. 

Federal Financing Options 

Federal programs such as the Economic Development Administration, Rural Economic 

Community Development are also available.  Most federal programs are tied to rates of high 

unemployment which is applicable to Cowlitz County.  The only federal program specifically 

designed to assist in waterfront projects is under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  

In addition, the new Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA) may be used 

to fund road and rail access improvements. 

US Department of Transportation (USDOT)  

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER Discretionary Grant program) 

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary 

Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the DOT to invest in road, rail, transit and 

port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. Since 2009, Congress has 

dedicated more than $4.1 billion for six rounds to fund projects that have a significant impact on 

the Nation, a region or a metropolitan area. 

The TIGER program enables DOT to examine a broad array of projects on their merits, to 

help ensure that taxpayers are getting the highest value for every dollar invested.  In each 

round of TIGER, DOT receives many applications to build and repair critical pieces of our 

freight and passenger transportation networks. Applicants must detail the benefits their project 

would deliver for five long-term outcomes: safety, economic competitiveness, state of good 

repair, livability and environmental sustainability. 

USDOT TIGER discretionary grants are awarded on a competitive basis for capital 

investments in transportation projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a 

metropolitan area or a region. 

The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) 

The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program provides 

Federal credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit 

to finance surface transportation projects of national and regional significance. TIFIA credit 

assistance provides improved access to capital markets, flexible repayment terms, and 

potentially more favorable interest rates than can be found in private capital markets for similar 

instruments. TIFIA can help advance qualified, large-scale projects that otherwise might be 

delayed or deferred because of size, complexity, or uncertainty over the timing of revenues. 

Many surface transportation projects - highway, transit, railroad, intermodal freight, and port 

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