Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga, along with a delegation of key ASG officials, convened with representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers to review the challenges surrounding permit acquisition for seawall projects and strategies to mitigate project delays.

The meeting held at Ft. Shafter in Hawaii centered on several key areas such as project delays and permitting issues, partnership, environmental impact assessment and mitigation, government project progress and regulatory streamlining, and flood risk management and funding priorities.

There was also an emphasis placed on collaboration on forming a regional team to address regulatory issues, with LTC Ryan Pevey, Commander, Honolulu US Army Corps of Engineers offering regular updates to the Governor's office on progress.

Detailed discussions took place on environmental impact assessments, mitigation plans, and the importance of timely information sharing and coordination among departments to expedite necessary actions. A commitment was made to streamline policy processes while also exploring opportunities for regulatory efficiency. The meeting looked at flood risk mitigation projects and the challenges in obtaining federal funding, with a focus on identifying quick and sustainable solutions to ensure comprehensive flood risk management.

Following the meeting, several action items were agreed upon, including setting up follow-up meetings to discuss individual project assessments, exploring regulatory process efficiencies, and establishing an update system between the Army Corps and American Samoa.

Governor Lemanu reiterated the territory's commitment to working closely with the US Army Corps of Engineers to address infrastructure challenges and foster sustainable development in American Samoa.

In attendance from the US Army Corps of Engineers were LTC Ryan Pevey, Commander, Honolulu US Army Corps of Engineers, Jennifer Moore, PMP Deputy District Engineer Programs and Project Management, Sara Longa, Chief of Regulatory, USACE, Jennifer Martin, Chief of Regulatory, Honolulu District, Charles Schiers, Program Manager, Civil and Public Works, Donald Schlack, Program Manager, Civil and Public Works, and Benjamin Reder, Deputy Chief, Civil and Public Works.