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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Over $20 million in Federal Funds to Repair Highways Damaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Otto

Washington, DC- The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide Puerto Rico with $22.3 million in federal funds to repair or reconstruct federal-aid highways that were damaged by Tropical Storm Otto in 2010 and Hurricane Irene in 2011, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced today.

The allocation of funding is being made directly to the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works pursuant to the federal government’s Emergency Relief (ER) program.

Specifically, Puerto Rico will receive about $7.3 million to repair highways affected by Tropical Storm Otto in October 2010. This funding is in addition to $8.4 million that Puerto Rico already received in March 2011 from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the purpose of helping the Island recover from Tropical Storm Otto.

In addition, Puerto Rico will receive $15 million to repair the damage caused to roads by Hurricane Irene in August 2011.

In both cases, the funds are being provided because the government of Puerto Rico filed a request for Emergency Relief with the federal government to cover the cost of damages

“Yet again, the federal government has attended to the needs of Puerto Rico. The Island’s geographic location and vulnerability during hurricane season requires us to be in a state of constant alert. It is reassuring that the federal government, in response to the requests from the administration of Governor Luis Fortuño, has been active in its response to these emergencies,” said Pierluisi.