FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced Jan. 14 several civil works studies that will be accomplished with funding provided in Public Law 116-20, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations Disaster Relief Act, 2019, signed into law June 6, 2019.
Honolulu District will manage six FY19 Emergency Supplemental studies, two each for Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The U.S. is committed to the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and the Corps is committed to providing world class engineering technical assistance for the people and governments of the Pacific region.
This appropriation will assist with the recovery and resiliency-building efforts throughout the U.S. Pacific Territories in response to major storms affecting the region between 2017 and 2019. The Office of Management and Budget in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of the Army has approved funding for Investigations and Operations and Maintenance activities with all investigations funded with 100% Federal money. Studies pursued through investigations that are found to hold Federal interest will have access to approximately $740 million in construction funding and will require a cost-share with a non-federal sponsor.
The six Pacific studies with the current working cost estimates include:
Guam: Agana River (Hagatna River Flood Control) flood risk management study ($3 million); Pacific Territories Post-Disaster watershed assessment ($1.5 million) for investigation of measures to increase resiliency and address damages incurred from historic storm events.
American Samoa: Tafuna flood risk management study ($3 million), Pacific Territories Post-Disaster watershed assessment ($1.5 million) for investigation of measures to increase resiliency and address damages incurred from historic storm events.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Saipan Beach Road coastal storm damage reduction study ($3 million), Pacific Territories Post-Disaster watershed assessment ($1.5 million) for investigation of measures to increase resiliency and address damages incurred from historic storm events.
Honolulu District is currently engaging study sponsors to initiate each investigation. A start date for the studies has not yet been identified. The table listing the studies receiving funding are posted at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Budget/ as "Supplemental Appropriations for Disasters 2019, under Long Term Repairs, Investigations."
"The allocation of funding in the Investigations account and additional construction projects announced helps enable these communities to prepare for, and reduce the risk of flood damages caused by potential weather events in the future," said Mr. R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.