Jenniffer Gonzalez announces $ 426 million in federal funds for debris removal, health centers 330, and manufacturing

Washington, DC- The resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, announced several assignments totaling $ 426,160,142.84 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the federal Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The reimbursements by FEMA total $ 412,651,956.84 and are under the Public Assistance program for the expenses incurred by agencies and municipalities for reconstruction and recovery work due to the impact of Hurricane Maria. The money comes from assignments that the commissioner has worked since the Congress, through the budget projects or through the projects of supplementary assignments for disasters.

Under category A, within the Pilot Program of Alternative Public Assistance Procedures (PAAP) for debris removal expenses, the Municipality of Cidra will receive $ 7,437,133.18 and the Municipality of Barceloneta $ 2,056,065.26.

Under category B, which covers the measures taken to provide "essential assistance" to face the immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster, the Municipality of Cidra will receive $ 2,853,268.27 and the Electric Power Authority will receive $ 178,511,250.00 divided by 9 assignments.

In this same category, the Housing Department will receive $ 221,794,240.13 for the provisional essential shelter and energy (STEP) program which aids in repairs to housing with federal money but local management.

For its part, the Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) allocated $ 12,793,425 to 19 health centers 330 in Puerto Rico.

These funds are provided under the capital assistance program for the hurricane response and recovery (CARE) effort financed by the Bipartite Budget Law signed last February.

The Health Center of Lares Inc. will receive $ 647,025, the rest of the centers will receive $ 674,800. These are: Camuy Health Services Inc, the Dr. Julio Palmieri Ferri Family Health Center, Inc. in Arroyo, the Patillas Inc. Primary Health Services Center in Florida, the Florida Primary Health Services Center Inc, the Council De Salud Integral De Loíza, Inc., the Puerto Rico Health Council, Inc. Ponce, the Health Corporation Insured by Our Solidarity Organization, Inc. (SANOS) in Caguas, the Health Services and Advanced Medicine Corporation of Cidra, the Primary Healthcare and Prevention Services Corporation of Hatillo, the Costa Salud Community Health Centers Inc. in Rincon, the De Castaner General Hospital, Inc. in Adjuntas, HPM Foundation, Inc. in San Juan, the Migrant Health Center Western Region Inc in Mayagüez , Morovis Community Health Center Inc Morovis, NEOMED Center In. in Gurabo, Prymed Medical Care, Inc. in Ciales, Integral Health in La Montana Inc. in Naranjito, and Barceloneta Primary Health Services.

The National Institute of Measures and Technologies (NIST) of the Federal Department of Commerce, assigned $ 629,761.00 to the Puerto Rico Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Inc. (PRIMEX). The organization carries out a project to improve the competitiveness of small manufacturers with less than 100 employees operating in the food industry in Puerto Rico. The project will help the food manufacturing establishments to comply with the requirements of the Law of Modernization of Food Safety, as well as to implement improvements in the processes through the knowledge of Industry 4.0.

Finally, the NSF will allocate anywhere from $ 85,000.00 to $ 255,000.00 to the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico for the I-Corps Sites: Type I. The main objective of this project is to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies developed by researchers and students in Puerto Rico.