The U.S. Small Business Administration officials have announced that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Lawrence, Scioto and three other counties in Ohio as a result of drought and high winds that moved through the region June 1. These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Kentucky.

“The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included,” Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East, said. “When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations affected by the same disaster.”

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to farm-related and non-farm-related small business concerns, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA, but nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.

Eligible small businesses and non-profit organizations may qualify for loans up to $2 million. These loans are available at a 4 percent interest rate with loan 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 the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. Under this disaster declaration, the SBA cannot provide loans to agricultural producers.

Disaster victims should contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired) 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. EST Saturday and Sunday or by e-mailing the customer service center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Pro-cessing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Victims may visit SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans. Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than July 1, 2009.