Massachusetts business affected by last Augusts’ Tropical Storm Irene have until June 5 to apply for U.S. Small Business Administration working capital loans, the SBA announced today.

"Businesses that suffered economic losses as a result of the disaster and want to apply for low-interest loans from the SBA are urged to do so before the June 5 deadline," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations are eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million, at rates between 3 and 4 percent for up to 30 years. The loans are intended to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other expenses that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. 

The loans are available to businesses in the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester in Massachusetts; Litchfield County in Connecticut; Cheshire County in New Hampshire; Columbia, Dutchess and Rensselaer in New York, and Bennington and Windham in Vermont.