$36M grant for CUC OK’d

The Northern Marianas Corp., through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, has approved $36 million worth of projects that the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. will embark on to repair infrastructure damaged by Typhoon Mangkhut and Super Typhoon Yutu.

CUC executive director Gary Camacho announced the corporation’s approval of the award last Thursday at the CUC board of directors’ regular meeting at the CUC conference room in the Joeten Commercial Building in Dandan.

According to a letter from NMHC corporate director Jesse Palacios that was addressed to Camacho, the projects that were approved for CDBG-DR program funding are:

-Hardening and increasing resiliency of the Dandan Water Tank for future disasters;

-Procurement and installation of 10 back-up generators to provide emergency back-up power to 33 water wells in Kagman, Gualo Rai, Calhoun, Rapagao, Koblerville, and As Matuis/Marpi;

-Replacement of the existing 1.0-million-gallon Kagman Water Tank with a new prestressed concrete water tank. This water tank will be able to serve water to Kagman with the ability to move excess water to the Papago, San Vicente, and Dandan tank service;

-Replacement of the existing 1.0-million-gallon As Matuis Water Tank with a new prestressed water tank. The tank serves the villages of San Roque, Achugao, Tanapag, and Lower Base;

-Hardening Power Plant 1;
-Providing power supply reliability to Power Plant 4 through the project proposed repairs and replacement of historically damaged components and vulnerable equipment;

-Replacement of the Tinian Carolinas Heights Village’s .5-million-gallon water tank;

-Underground power distribution system for Maui IV- Tinian. Feasibility study/field assessment and design, supply, and construction;

According to the NMHC letter, the NMHC CDBG-DR team has already begun planning for and executing preliminary work needed to ensure that the projects can start as soon as possible and as soon as they get the documents that are needed from CUC.

“I extend my appreciation to the governor, governor’s office and all the hardworking people up there [NMHC], along with Mr. Jesse Palacios, for being patient with us and helping us move these projects through the process for approval,” said Camacho.