Press Releases

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
January 22, 2025                                                   202-808-6129

PRESS STATEMENT

PLASKETT ANNOUNCES OVER $2 BILLION DOLLARS FOR VI WASTEWATER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement announcing two grants totaling over $2 billion dollars from U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the V.I. Waste Management Authority:

“I would like to share with the public that last week FEMA awarded a grant totaling $2,144,882,835.57 for St. Thomas and $81,917,395.68 for St. John (St. Croix award amount forthcoming) to not just repair but replace wastewater facilities in order to restore the systems back to their original, pre-disaster condition. This award is for the prudent replacement standard which is integral for improving our preparedness and resiliency against natural disasters. I and my team worked diligently to change the provisions of the Stafford Act which is used for rebuilding after U.S. disasters. My office made the convincing argument that the level of disaster in the Virgin Islands was exacerbated by the lack of federal funding investment in our critical infrastructure prior to the storms, which made the effect of the hurricanes more profound.  That change in law effected by Congress under my watch is what has led to the exponential award amounts which have been given to the Virgin Islands. 

“Additionally, in February of 2024 and through the work of my office along with Governor Bryan and his team, President Biden agreed to raise the federal cost share of all FEMA assistance grants for hurricane recovery in the Virgin Islands from 90 to 95 percent in all cases, including retroactively.  In addition, President Biden also agreed to raise the federal cost share to 98 percent in the case of larger critical infrastructure rebuilding projects approved before September 30, 2024, and completed before 2026.

“As we know, the Virgin Islands government has been allocated billions of federal dollars for hurricane recovery projects—for our schools, hospitals, water, power, communications, and other critical infrastructure. Until last February, those projects would have required the Virgin Islands government to provide 10 percent of the grant in local matching funds (90 percent to be paid with federal funding). President Biden’s declaration cut that cost share requirement to just 2 percent for critical rebuilding projects approved before September 30, 2024, and completed over the next 2 years, and 5 percent otherwise.  This waiver is unique to the Virgin Islands, not available to Puerto Rico and will allow our territory more federal financial assistance to push through the most critical projects so that the territory is given the best opportunity to see our hurricane recovery through to completion in a timely fashion.

“I would like to congratulate Governor Bryan and his team for their consistent engagement with the Biden-Harris administration and FEMA.

“We are on a time clock to ensure that we get the greatest use of funds with the least amount of costs to the Virgin Islands.  To make these deadlines we will all need to work together—ALL Virgin Islanders—strategically, efficiently, transparently, and humbly to make sure that if not we, our children benefit from this tremendous opportunity. My team and I are committed and will do whatever is needed to ensure that this award and all our recovery funding moves along in order to take full advantage of the 2% cost share.”

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