EPA announces $11.5 million in funding for American Samoa

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide the American Samoa with $11.5 million for environmental protection work as part of its Making a Visible Difference in Communities effort, which will impact 50 communities across the nation.

The money will be administered by the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) and the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) in the form of program and infrastructure grants and funding for wetlands and groundwater protection.

“EPA’s funding enables American Samoa to advance their goals in the pursuit of clean air, water and land as part of our ‘Making a Visible Difference’ initiative,” EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Jared Blumenfeld told EP News Wire. “We congratulate the American Samoa Le Ofisa O Puipuiaga O le Si'osi'omaga and ASPA for their work benefiting the island residents and their resources.”

The bulk of the funding, $9.9 million, will go to ASPA for improvements to the water infrastructure, which will lead to a higher quality of drinking water and remove boil water notices. The ASEPA will receive $2.2 million to aid in its operations, including air, water and land inspections and beach and drinking water safety monitoring, among other responsibilities. Nearly $300,000 will go toward assessing the health of the island’s wetlands and nearby coral reefs.