$1.7 MILLION FEMA GRANT FOR TAFUNA POWER PLANT

Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Aumua Amata, announced on Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a grant in the amount of $1,740,439 to assist in funding the retrofit of the Tafuna Power Plant.

 “The people of American Samoa are well aware of the damage caused by hurricanes and cyclones to our island,” stated Amata. “The retrofit calls for new acoustic walls, doors, and a roof cladding system, which will help protect the power plant from high wind events,” said Amata. “The project will also ensure that Tafuna Power Plant meets federal code.”

Amata concluded, “I want to thank those FEMA officials, who saw the need and importance for this funding, as well as American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) Executive Director Utu Abe Malae, whose hard work ensured that American Samoa received this funding for these critical upgrades.  In fact, we met just a few weeks ago to discuss this issue, and I am glad to see this funding awarded thanks to his tireless efforts.”

NO REPORTS OF INJURIES FROM HIGH WINDS WARNING

A special bulletin from the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security – TEMCO was issued on Monday, April 3, 2017, concerning a High Wind Warning for the Manu’a Islands issued by the National Weather Service, and in effect until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

It said this was due to northeast winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts to 50 miles per hour, and conditions would increase to 35 to 45 miles per hour with gusts to 60 miles per hour this afternoon through tonight.

Residents of Manu’a Islands were urged to be extremely cautious for safety, protect life and property, and continue to monitor weather forecasts for updates.

The National Weather Service advised also that the weather advisories, watches, and warnings remained in effect, and asked that the public continue to monitor for weather updates:

So far, no injuries have been reported from Manu’a or Tutuila as a result of the extremely bad weather.

AMATA DECRIES MISMANAGEMENT OF VA CRISIS LINE

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Aumua Amata and the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) held a hearing on the effectiveness of the actions the VA has taken to realign and rectify flaws in the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) program. Fixing the VCL is a top priority of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

The mission of the Veterans Crisis Line is to connect veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Unfortunately, the program has been plagued with issues, which prompted today’s HVAC hearing.

“The Veterans Crisis Line is the first call that many veterans make in their darkest moments. It is probably one of the VA’s most important tools in combating suicide. However, its continual mismanagement and its failure to meet the needs of America’s veterans is unacceptable,” stated Amata.

“The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) have a very successful call line, and I look forward to getting the VCL on par with their standard. The VCL also has room to improve when it comes to tracking gender-specific caller data and accommodating the needs of female veterans. We must make sure that our women veterans including those in American Samoa are able to get the same services through these lifesaving programs,” concluded Amata.