Feds turn over $12-M to CNMI

Office of Insular Affairs Director Danny Aranza yesterday turned over $12 million in federal money to the CNMI as he pledged to tap other available resources to assist the Commonwealth government.

A total of $11 million will be channeled for Capital Improvement Projects in Fiscal Year 2001, the appropriation set aside by the Department of the Interior under Covenant funding.

The remaining $1 million is the federal government’s reimbursement to the Northern Marianas for the cost of hosting the immigrants from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

Dismissing criticisms that the CNMI is only getting a small share of the federal grants, Mr. Aranza stressed that the amount is already a significant contribution which would help the CNMI in the construction of schools, roads, sewer and other infrastructure development.

The local government has spent between $80 million to $108 million in helping FAS citizens establish residency on the island since the agreement which allows them to enter freely into any U.S. jurisdiction took effect in 1986.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio had submitted documents to the U.S. Congress detailing all the expenditures shouldered by the Commonwealth so far, such as housing, medical and educational assistance provided to Micronesians.

Mr. Aranza said the Department of the Interior is already satisfied with the way the CNMI government has increased its CIP spending level, slowly reducing the huge amount of unspent grants. Due to the slow pace in infrastructure spending, the CIP grant was reduced to $5.58 million in Fiscal Year 2000.

He said OIA will continue to assist the Department of Public Health in dealing with the polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in Tanapag village.

OIA funding made it possible for medical experts from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and Center for Disease Control to help in the health evaluation and blood testing of Tanapag residents six months ago.

While the major agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should be in the forefront in dealing with the PCB contamination, Mr. Aranza said they would like to help solve the problem as soon as possible.