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CNMI will get $8.27M for 2023 CIPs
Commonwealth also receiving $1.91M to upgrade water, wastewater, stormwater infrastructure
The CNMI government will get $8.27 million in federal grants for 2023 capital improvement projects for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, according to Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) over the weekend.
Sablan also disclosed in his e-kilili newsletter that the CNMI will be receiving $1.91 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through this year’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
He said the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Tuesday the grant awards that will enable the CNMI government to construct, install, upgrade, and continue capital improvement projects worth $8,277,667.
He said the projects span Saipan, Tinian, and Rota and include upgrading the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s health information system, constructing power lines and a solid waste convenience center, building resilient infrastructure against super typhoons, and installing water lines.
CHCC’s health information system upgrading and the solid waste center in As Gonno construction will get $2,500,00 and $2,245,973, respectively. This will make the two projects the biggest recipients of the CIP funding.
Tinian will receive $874,330 for its west San Jose powerlines, while Rota will get the same amount for its Dugi waterline installation.
Sablan said $827,765 will go to CIP program administration, $500,000 to Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant, and $455,269 for infrastructure maintenance projects.
The delegate said this fiscal year’s $8.3 million in grant funds is down from last fiscal year’s $8.8 million.
He said funds are allocated among the CNMI, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands based on a number of competitive factors, including timely single audits from each insular government, as agreed to in the 2004 Section 702 Funding Agreement between the special representatives of the President and the Commonwealth’s governor.
On the clean water project, Sablan said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Saturday that $1,914,000 can be used by the CNMI to upgrade essential water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
“We have been able to include a special set-aside of 1.5% of Clean Water funds for the insular areas every year since 2010,” the delegate said.
