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Public broadcasting on the island of St. Thomas is set to get a boost with millions of dollars in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett announced on Wednesday that a grant of just over $18 million had been awarded to the Public Broadcast System.
"This award is for permanent repairs to buildings and damaged infrastructure, including hazard mitigation measures that will be integral for improving our preparedness and resiliency against natural disasters,” Ms. Plaskett said.
“I was pleased to secure provisions into U.S. law that allow FEMA, for the duration of the recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Virgin Islands, to rebuild critical infrastructure like communications infrastructure to incorporate resilient design and features, up to the latest industry building standards and notwithstanding pre-disaster conditions in the Virgin Islands (the standard that normally applies),” she continued.
According to the congresswoman, the project was deemed, after evaluation, to be eligible for prudent replacement.
“I commend the Office of Disaster Recovery and the V.I. Public Broadcasting System for securing this funding and look forward to working with them to ensure the funds are fully utilized,” Ms. Plaskett said.
