Federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in agriculture and private non-profit organizations in several Kentucky counties as a result of the drought that began October 4, 2016.

Clinton County is among the counties included. Other counties in this area include Allen, Bell, Christian, Cumberland, Logan, McCreary, Monroe, Simpson, Todd, Wayne and Whitley.

“These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Tennessee. The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties are included,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and non-farm related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster.

With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.625 percent for private non-profit organizations and four percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years.

The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources.

Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.