Commissioner Announces Over $103 Million in Federal Funding for Hurricane, Storm and Earthquake Reconstruction c36b7185-eb5e-483a-92d7-70fb636e8ca3.jpg Press release of December 25, 2021 Secretary Pete Buttegieg notifies Jenniffer González to rebuild for port reconstruction The resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, today announced the approval of over $103 million in federal funds for the reconstruction of infrastructure and public service facilities and spoke with the Secretary of Transportation of the United States, Pete Buttegieg, about allocations for these fines. Yesterday, the representative of Puerto Rico in Congress held a call with Secretary Buttegieg, in which he announced his approval for the Ports Authority of $10 million from the Federal Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Concessions program (MARAD). ) ). These funds will be used in the project to rebuild the facilities of Pier 15 on Isla Grande, a rolling cargo terminal (called Roll-On/Roll-off), including the auxiliary berth and the "B" dock, as well as the design and construction of facilities for the preparation of cargo for loading and unloading. The works will be aimed at addressing the damage that dates back to hurricanes Irma and María. "These facilities are important to maintain the capacity and development potential of the Port of San Juan," said Commissioner González Colón. "I thank Secretary Buttegieg for communicating this announcement and we will surely continue working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the recovery and economic development of Puerto Rico." The congresswoman also communicated several other recent announcements of funds for transportation infrastructure, in which it is highlighted that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated six new items of federal funds totaling $73,030,206 and the Federal Emergency Management Administration ( FEMA) received $20,277,541.20 in funds for reconstruction projects related to the earthquakes. The total of these federal funds is $93,307,747.20. The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (HTA) will receive $45,482,969 for repair projects related to hurricanes Irma and María; $975,000 for projects related to 2019 Tropical Storm Karen; $21,707,382 for repairs due to earthquakes and landslides; and $4,076,438 with repairs related to Tropical Storm Isaias. From FHWA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will receive $288,418 for repairs related to Tropical Storm Isaias; and the Forest Service will receive $500,000 for repairs to road damage caused by the July 2020 flooding and heavy rains. The commissioner had inspected the Yunque roads together with the mayor of Río Grande and spoke with the Forest Service to prioritize access to this area. FHWA funding comes from the FY22 FHWA Emergency Relief Program. This program allows funding for federally assisted highway and road repair or reconstruction on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natur