FEMA OKs $110M in additional funds for PREPA, Central Recovery Office
The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded nearly $110 million in additional Public Assistance grants to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the Central Office for Recovery and Reconstruction of Puerto Rico.
To date, the FEMA Public Assistance program has obligated more than $3.4 billion in total funding to the government of Puerto Rico and municipalities, the federal agency stated.
The grants are for emergency protective measures and management costs associated with Hurricane María.
Emergency protective measures are actions taken to eliminate or lessen immediate threats either to lives, public health or safety, or significant additional damage to public or private property in a cost-effective manner.
The grants were awarded as follows:
- More than $89 million to Central Recovery and Reconstruction Office of Puerto Rico
- More than $20 million to PREPA
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to eligible government and certain private nonprofit organizations. This assistance is granted for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities.
The program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.
The Public Assistance program is funded by FEMA and administered by the government of Puerto Rico. FEMA obligates funding for these projects directly to Puerto Rico.