$20 million windfall for water

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has recommended the passage of a major water infrastructure bill, which includes a $20-million funding for the CNMI.

“I am extremely happy with this favorable decision by the committee. I’m most especially grateful to the chairman, congressman Don Young, for keeping us in mind. It’s great recognition for insular areas. In the past, we were often forgotten in terms of infrastructure,” said Gov. Juan N. Babauta in a news briefing Friday afternoon.

The governor and his consultant, Adam Turner, said that although the bill—H.R. 2864 or the Water Resources Development Act for 2005—has yet to be voted on by the entire House members this month, its passage is almost sure because it is under a “closed rule,” which means that it can no longer be amended on the floor.

They said that the bill has been approved by the committee and the leadership from both sides.

Babauta said the amendment to include the CNMI was made by Young himself.

He said that part of the $20 million funding would be used for harbor and breakwater upgrade on Rota and Tinian. The rest of the funds would be used by the Water Task Force’s water improvement projects on Saipan.

“We’re going to use this money for Rota and Tinian port improvement projects and for our water infrastructure projects on Saipan,” said the governor.

In his March 29, 2005 letter to Young, Babauta said the harbors on Tinian and Rota “must be substantially rehabilitated,” noting that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is already working on these projects.

“These islands are totally dependent on these seaports for service,” he said.

Further, Babauta said that Saipan “is the only urban community in the United States that does not provide potable water to their residents.”

He informed the panel that a water study conducted by the Army Corp projected that Saipan would need $100 million to upgrade and modernize its water service system.

Further, the governor said that Young’s committee supported his recommendation to allow a study of the CNMI’s harbor and navigation improvements without conducting a full-scale cost benefit study and waiving the $500,000 matching requirement to conduct such studies.

Section 1156 (a) of the bill provides that the federal government “shall waive local cost-sharing requirements up to $500,000 for all studies and projects in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, and U.S. Virgin Islands…”

“We are small in terms of number and most times unqualified for these improvements when compared to larger facilities but our needs are greater as islands who depend on seaports. These waivers are the initial steps in really moving forward on Tinian and Rota port improvements,” said Babauta.

Highlights of the WRDA include regular authorization schedule for the Civil Works Program of the Army Corps to address new and emerging water resources needs such as the Everglades restoration project, other projects and studies relating to navigation improvements, flood protection, flood damage reduction, stream bank and shoreline protection, and hurricane damage reduction.

The WRDA is a general authorization bill for water projects that is passed by Congress generally every five years.

Earmarked projects are normally allocated to each congressional district, “leaving the CNMI out as the Commonwealth is not represented in Congress.”

Babauta said the CNMI is “benefiting from our relationships with the leadership in the Transportation Committee,” citing that the Northern Marianas also stands to receive $12 million for the Talafofo Bridge roadway project, as embodied in the Transportation Equity Act.