The Interior Department’s Office of Insular Affairs awarded the V.I. government several grants totaling more than $800,000 from its technical assistance program, according to Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), one of two federal funding announcements Thursday.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $52,625 grant to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to prevent petroleum and hazardous substances from being released into the environment.
The technical assistance grants are intended for short-term, non-capital projects and are not meant to supplant local funding of routine operating expenses of an insular government, according to the news release from Plaskett’s office.
TAP priorities include but are not limited to projects which foster development of the insular areas in the following categories: accountability; financial management; economic development; training/education; energy; life; safety and health issues.
The grants awarded to the Virgin Islands Thursday include the following:
– $60,322 for the Gustave Quetel Fish House Project.
– $200,000 for technical training in the U.S. Virgin Islands Public Library System, project priorities, archives management training and cataloging and database subscription training.
– $250,000 to the Virgin Islands Power and Water Authority for the St. Croix Water System Master Plan.
– $117,490 to V.I. WAPA for the Water Department Technical Training Project.
– $200,000 to the St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation for the Information Technology Infrastructure Capacity Improvement Project.
Plaskett said the grants will benefit the Virgin Islands with its ongoing rebuilding efforts.
“The United States government and the international community has an obligation to help in the reestablishment of our islands. The grant award is a vital component of that concern,” Plaskett said in the statement from her office.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $52,625 grant to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to prevent petroleum and hazardous substances from being released into the environment, Plaskett’s office said. The purpose of thr grant is to encourage proper operation and maintenance of storage tanks, ensuring that operations align with federal regulations and to ensure that the program can operate independently after funding has ceased.
“This important grant will better protect people’s health and benefit the environment in our communities by improving prevention and detection of underground storage tank releases. We will continue to build meaningful and working relationships with underground tank partners to ensure consistency in the regulations and operation of underground tanks,” Plaskett said.
