Alakanuk, and other villages seeking federal sewer and water money, received good news Friday afternoon.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced that its funding for grant projects is once again available. This means that tribes receiving money for infrastructure projects can proceed as normal.
Over the last week, many have questioned the need to review the EPA’s operations, and speculated that there might be possible cuts to vital programs. However, the EPA explains in their statement that no aspect of the process has changed, and that the grant amounts have also remained the same.
This will come as a relief to tribes and rural communities seeking funding for essential projects like water/sewer. The village of Alakanuk recently expressed concerns about the future of the program in the face of a massive overhaul of their sewer system.
The EPA says that it is still evaluating contracts that were put on pause by the Trump Administration, but as of Friday afternoon, that review was nearly complete as well.