Commissioner Announces Over $103 Million in Federal Funding for Hurricane, storm, and Earthquake Reconstruction

Press Release

Secretary Pete Buttegieg notifies Jenniffer González to rebuild for port reconstruction
The resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, today announced the approval of over $103 million in federal funds for the reconstruction of infrastructure and public service facilities and spoke with the Secretary of Transportation of the United States, Pete Buttegieg, about allocations for these fines.

Yesterday, the representative of Puerto Rico in Congress held a call with Secretary Buttegieg, in which he announced his approval for the Ports Authority of $10 million from the Federal Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Concessions program (MARAD). ) ). These funds will be used in the project to rebuild the facilities of Pier 15 on Isla Grande, a rolling cargo terminal (called Roll-On/Roll-off), including the auxiliary berth and the "B" dock, as well as the design and construction of facilities for the preparation of cargo for loading and unloading. The works will be aimed at addressing the damage that dates back to hurricanes Irma and María.

"These facilities are important to maintain the capacity and development potential of the Port of San Juan," said Commissioner González Colón. "I thank Secretary Buttegieg for communicating this announcement and we will surely continue working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the recovery and economic development of Puerto Rico."

The congresswoman also communicated several other recent announcements of funds for transportation infrastructure, in which it is highlighted that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated six new items of federal funds totaling $73,030,206 and the Federal Emergency Management Administration ( FEMA) received $20,277,541.20 in funds for reconstruction projects related to the earthquakes. The total of these federal funds is $93,307,747.20.

The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (HTA) will receive $45,482,969 for repair projects related to hurricanes Irma and María; $975,000 for projects related to 2019 Tropical Storm Karen; $21,707,382 for repairs due to earthquakes and landslides; and $4,076,438 with repairs related to Tropical Storm Isaias.

From FHWA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will receive $288,418 for repairs related to Tropical Storm Isaias; and the Forest Service will receive $500,000 for repairs to road damage caused by the July 2020 flooding and heavy rains.

The commissioner had inspected the Yunque roads together with the mayor of Río Grande and spoke with the Forest Service to prioritize access to this area.

FHWA funding comes from the FY22 FHWA Emergency Relief Program. This program allows funding for federally assisted highway and road repair or reconstruction on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures. of external cause. These funds are awarded to a state after the president or governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the state files an Emergency Relief (ER) application for the cost of damage to its eligible roadways. Eligible repair work includes emergency repairs necessary to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect remaining facilities, as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the roadway to its pre-disaster condition.

González Colón continues his supervision of the disbursement of federal funds to advance and complete the reconstruction work throughout the island.

For its part, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) showed the disbursement of $20,277,541.20 of federal funds under the Public Assistance program for reconstruction work in the southern part of the island as a result of the earthquakes. FEMA requires the Government of Puerto Rico to fund these projects directly, which is responsible for ensuring that eligible subrecipients receive these allocations after reviewing the required documentation.

These FEMA funds focus on reconstruction work in southern municipalities hit by earthquakes.

The Department of Education will receive $12,868,696.10 from FEMA to rehabilitate the following schools: $1,678,550.03 for the Francisco Jordán Elementary School in Utuado; $3,942,171.79 for the Higher Vocational School (Antonio Reyes Padilla) of Utuado; $1,305 Laura Mercado in San Germán; $3,038,272.01 for the José Onofre Torres Fermoso School in Yauco; and $2,904,328.64 for the José Emilio Lugo de Adjuntas High School.

The Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) will receive $2,148,057.18 for the reconstruction of the men's residence at the Ponce Medical Center; The Industrial Development Company will receive $5,260,788.00 for the reconstruction of one of its industrial buildings in Guánica.

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