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$11.6M from FEMA for debris removal, reduction
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated more than $11.6 million for islandwide debris removal, debris reduction, and recovering costs for the CNMI government associated with debris removal after Super Typhoon Yutu.
The project worksheets include $3.4 million for islandwide debris removal and $8.2 million for debris reduction during this ongoing recovery from the 2018 typhoon season. The award totals $11,601,848.36.
“Clearing debris from our major roadways and villages was a critical priority during the recovery, and we are very grateful to FEMA for the partnership in awarding these funds to pay off debris removal contracts and vendors,” said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres in announcing the FEMA award last Sunday.
“We are also reimbursing some of the costs our government had to pay upfront in order to expedite clearing our streets and residential areas,” Torres added. “We continue to push on several requests for reimbursements to address key areas of the recovery and replenish our general fund. While we wait for these reimbursements to come in, the partnership has been strong, and I thank FEMA, our federal and military partners, and our local first responders for their work during the debris removal process and for working to expedite our overall recovery.”
The governor’s authorized representative, Virginia Villagomez, said the project worksheets continue to come in from FEMA for the CNMI government as recovery continues.
“Our Public Assistance team, along with several key government agencies, are working very hard to get additional funds and reimbursements to recover central government costs and to strengthen our infrastructure for the future,” Villagomez said. “The collaboration with FEMA and our federal partners has been tremendous, and we look forward to more of the same as we move forward on our road to recovery.” (PR)
