Bill Text: NJ SR117 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges FEMA to return electric generators to communities in Puerto Rico.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-01-15 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [SR117 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-SR117-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Urges FEMA to return electric generators to communities in Puerto Rico.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency to return electric generators to communities in Puerto Rico.
Whereas, On September 21, 2018, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, devastating the island and its 3.5 million residents, with an estimated death toll of almost 3,000; and
Whereas, The hurricane destroyed much of Puerto Rico's infrastructure including water and transportation systems, but the island's electrical system was especially impacted; and
Whereas, The 175 mile per hour winds of the hurricane destroyed nearly 80 percent of the island's powerlines leaving 3.4 million residents without electricity; and
Whereas, The poor preparation and response by the federal government exacerbated the damage that was done to Puerto Rico's already vulnerable electrical grid by the hurricane; and
Whereas, Electricity to the island was not fully restored until 326 days after the hurricane made landfall, making it the largest blackout in American history and the second largest blackout in the world; and
Whereas, A lack of electricity led to multiple health crisis as medicine went bad, medical equipment could not reliably operate, and sanitation systems failed leading to a leptospirosis outbreak; and
Whereas, Reliable electricity is vital to Puerto Rico's ongoing recovery, but despite the progress made, many residents still suffer from unstable electrical power; and
Whereas, Many of the current repairs to the island's electrical grid were meant to be temporary and the grid is still dangerously unstable and vulnerable to future storms; and
Whereas, After installing nearly 1,700 generators across the island, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has now reduced that number to a little over 50; and
Whereas, Instead of storing the generators for future use, FEMA should look to continue to help with the current rebuilding effort in Puerto Rico which requires a stable supply of electricity; and
Whereas, FEMA should restore the use of generators throughout Puerto Rico until the electrical grid is fully operational and reliable energy is available across the island; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Senate of the State of New Jersey urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency to return electric generators to communities in Puerto Rico.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges FEMA to return electric generators to communities in Puerto Rico.
Hurricane Maria was one of the most devastating storms in American history and nearly 3,000 people died because of it. The hurricane resulted in the largest blackout in the history of the country and the second largest in the history of the world. The impacts of this blackout led to food spoilage, medical equipment failure, and disease outbreaks. It took 11 months to fully restore electricity to Puerto Rico's residents, and the electrical supply is still unstable. Much work still needs to be done to fully repair Puerto Rico's electrical grid and strengthen it against future storms.
FEMA was a leading agency in the federal government's underwhelming response to Hurricane Maria. While the agency was largely unprepared for the devastation of the hurricane, it began to send hundreds of electric generators to the island to help stabilize the electrical supply. Eventually, FEMA had approximately 1,700 electric generators in Puerto Rico. However, that number has now been reduced to a little over 50, jeopardizing the progress that has been made. It is vital that FEMA restores the electric generators across the island as many still suffer from an unreliable electrical supply. Without these electric generators, the rebuilding process in Puerto Rico will continue to be slow and painful for people who have already suffered tremendously.
