SAIPAN — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued its initial public notice for disaster assistance tied to Super Typhoon Sinlaku, opening a 30-day window for written public comment on activities that could affect historic properties, wetlands, or floodplains across the CNMI.
The notice covers major disaster declaration FEMA-4910-DR-MP, which the President declared on April 23 for the storm that occurred April 11 to 18. The entire Commonwealth, including Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands, has been designated as adversely affected for both the Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA may fund CNMI local governments and private nonprofit organizations for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. The Individual Assistance program authorizes financial aid, temporary housing, crisis counseling, and other services for eligible individuals and households.
The notice concerns the environmental and historic-preservation reviews that federal law requires before disaster funds are spent. FEMA must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, executive orders on floodplain management and wetland protection, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the agency to weigh the effects of its funded projects on any property listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
FEMA said that for many routine restoration projects, this will be the only public notice provided. The agency outlined criteria under which it normally funds restoring a damaged facility in place, including that its repair estimate is less than half the replacement cost and under $364,000, that the facility is not in a floodway, that it has not sustained major structural damage in a prior declared flooding disaster, and that it is not a critical facility such as a hospital or generating plant. Projects that do not meet those criteria face more detailed review, including study of alternate locations, and could be the subject of later notices.
Interested persons may obtain information about these actions or a specific project, or submit comments, in writing to the FEMA Region 9 Office, Regional Environmental Officer, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94607. All comments must be submitted within 30 days of the notice’s publication.
FEMA said additional designations may be made later if the Commonwealth requests them and further damage assessments warrant.
FEMA Posts Public Notice for Sinlaku Disaster Aid, Opens 30-Day Comment Window
SAIPAN — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued its initial public notice for disaster assistance tied to Super Typhoon Sinlaku, opening a 30-day window for written public comment on activities that could affect historic properties, wetlands, or floodplains across the CNMI.
The notice covers major disaster declaration FEMA-4910-DR-MP, which the President declared on April 23 for the storm that occurred April 11 to 18. The entire Commonwealth, including Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands, has been designated as adversely affected for both the Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA may fund CNMI local governments and private nonprofit organizations for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. The Individual Assistance program authorizes financial aid, temporary housing, crisis counseling, and other services for eligible individuals and households.
The notice concerns the environmental and historic-preservation reviews that federal law requires before disaster funds are spent. FEMA must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, executive orders on floodplain management and wetland protection, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the agency to weigh the effects of its funded projects on any property listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
FEMA said that for many routine restoration projects, this will be the only public notice provided. The agency outlined criteria under which it normally funds restoring a damaged facility in place, including that its repair estimate is less than half the replacement cost and under $364,000, that the facility is not in a floodway, that it has not sustained major structural damage in a prior declared flooding disaster, and that it is not a critical facility such as a hospital or generating plant. Projects that do not meet those criteria face more detailed review, including study of alternate locations, and could be the subject of later notices.
Interested persons may obtain information about these actions or a specific project, or submit comments, in writing to the FEMA Region 9 Office, Regional Environmental Officer, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94607. All comments must be submitted within 30 days of the notice’s publication.
FEMA said additional designations may be made later if the Commonwealth requests them and further damage assessments warrant.