Washington, D.C. —Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata welcomed today the announcement of a grant of $67,148 for the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security. The grant is part of the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness program, which is awarded by the US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

This grant program distributes federal funds to states, territories, and Native American tribes to improve their ability to respond to incidents involving hazardous materials. This includes funding response efforts, as well as the development, implementation, and improvement of emergency plans for local communities. Finally, the grant helps pay for the training of emergency responders to respond to hazardous material incidents.

“If these past 18 months have taught us anything, it is that we must be prepared for any eventuality, so I am grateful to the DOT for these funds for the territory,” said Amata. “These funds help to enhance the emergency preparedness of the local government, and I will do my best in Congress to ensure that programs like this continue to assist local governments.”

“I congratulate Governor Lemanu, Lt. Governor Talauega, ASDHS Director Samana Semo Ve’ave’a, and the dedicated workers in ASG and ASDHS for their efforts in securing this grant. Thanks also to Secretary Pete Buttigieg and PHMSA Acting Administrator Tristan Brown for this support for the territory.”