This week, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on Nov. 15. The act allocates $1.2 trillion for infrastructure projects over the next five years. The bill is expected to make billions of dollars available to Alaska during this time. Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski helped negotiate the terms of the bill. KYUK talked with the senator about how the funding could benefit the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Transcript:
KYUK: This infrastructure bill brings in so much money, an expected billions of dollars to come to the state of Alaska. How can the state effectively administer all this money, and what is the role of tribes in administering it?
Murkowski: You're speaking to the real implementation challenge, which is very real. We are talking about billions of dollars, whether in the transportation end of things with about $3.5 billion in highway funding, the broadband components of it, the water, the wastewater. And so this is not just an infusion of federal dollars. It's how do we implement it to the betterment of Alaska peoples, Alaska Natives? In our cities, as well as our rural communities? And so implementation is going to be a challenge. Oversight and administration will be necessary, and the tribes will absolutely play a role. Much of the role will be determined by the type of program.
For instance, we have included within the measure specific carve outs for in the broadband space, specific to tribal broadband, so very clear there, the role of tribes. We have how those projects and those federal funds will be advanced. Working through the tribes, there is funding on the resilience side that will go through Bureau of Indian Affairs through their Tribal Climate Resilience Program. There is funding that will come through to the federal agencies through IHS [Indian Health Service] for water and sanitation. This is a really significant area. It's about $3.5 billion in technical and financial assistance to Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages. So this is working with IHS for cooperative development, construction of safe water, of wastewater, of solid waste systems.
So much of this is funding that will come in different ways. But I think it's fair to say that the tribes will have a role in all aspects, whether it's through the tribal transportation investments, or again, tribal broadband connectivity, or through IHS, their sanitation facility construction program. So I think one thing that we know, sometimes we are challenged with capacity in certain areas. So this is going to require everybody working together. I made very, very clear throughout this legislation that as we defined eligibility for programs, that tribes, ANCs, Alaska Native villages, the eligibility of our tribal health organizations, the eligibility, and participation would be there throughout.
KYUK: Another process question is, part of this funding is to help communities become more resilient in adapting to climate change. Often to do that, communities need tens of millions of dollars. In the case of Newtok [it needs] $100 million to fully relocate. Often this process is very long, because it's small amounts of funding piecemealed together. A lot of administrative work, a lot of paperwork. Does this bill help streamline that process by offering bigger chunks of money?
Murkowski: Well, again, I think it's important to recognize that much of what will come through new programs will be outlined by the agencies moving forward. So some of this is as yet unknown in terms of exactly how big the grants will be made available, what that process internally may be. I will share that within the climate resilience account, if you will, we do have a Tribal Climate Resilience Initiative. It's $216 million over five years for resilience, adaptation, community location, relocation planning. Of that, $130 [million] is for community relocation, $86 [million] for climate resilience. And as we know all too well in Alaska, that funding that I just named could be eaten up with just the relocation of one village.
And so I recognize that this particular program is not adequate to need. But I think what is important is that throughout the broader bill itself, you have different programs, whether it's formula or new programs that will be coming forward, that will help build resilience within our Native communities. So I think some people will look at this figure that's in the Tribal Climate Resilience Fund and say, ‘That's not enough.’ Know that I agree, but know that throughout the bill, we work to address many of the resilience issues that face so many of our villages throughout Alaska.
KYUK: This spending bill is spending for the next five years. I think a question that a lot of people in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta want to know is: in five years, should every household expect to have broadband internet and in-house running water and sewer?
Murkowski: That would be in an ideal and perfect world that we would see rural Alaska and so many of our villages that are not only underserved, they are unserved when it comes to broadband. They are unserved when it comes to water and sanitation services. And so we know that given geography and given climate, we can't put in place these initiatives as quickly as you might be able to in the lower 48, where what you're doing is you're just building out and enhancing an existing system. No, we've got to build the water systems out in these villages, and it takes time.
So I think the honest answer is no, we will not see every community to a level of broadband capacity that we would like or the level of water and wastewater. But I think what's important to acknowledge is, this is not like what we did about 10 years ago, when we passed the ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] bill, where we were looking for shovel-ready projects. This is an investment in necessary infrastructure throughout Alaska and throughout the country. And we acknowledge that it's going to take time to build it out to meet the need.
And so this is an unprecedented amount of funding. But people should not think that if my community has not seen a new water system being built, that we are not going to gain access to those resources going forward. I think it's important to recognize that, certainly on the water and sanitation side, the $3.5 billion that we included was not just kind of divining a number out of thin air. I asked the IHS, Indian Health Service. I said, 'What will it take to clear all your known project needs within the IHS system for water, wastewater and solid waste?' And they said, 'It's going to take $3.5 billion.’ And I said, 'Okay, that's what we're going to put in this bill. That's what we're going to work towards.'
So I think Alaskans should be prepared that we are going to be working together. It's not going to be easy. It's not going to be as quick as everybody would want. I think we acknowledge that we're all, the whole country is dealing with supply chain issues.
So for instance, I just met with representatives from the Alaska Telecom Association, and we had one of the representatives from Nushagak, and we talked about just the reality of getting the equipment ordered in order to do the build out. And a recognition that it's not just Alaska getting in line for additional fiber or booking for the dredging equipment, it is others around the country as well. And so this is not going to be done overnight. This is not going to be done in a year. This is an investment in our nation. This is an investment in those areas. Again, in far too many parts of Alaska we have been underserved or unserved, and this is going to be a legacy investment going forward.
The last thing I'd like to share with you is that we are planning a grant symposium for early next year where we will have an opportunity to have representatives from the agencies gathered together to be asking specific questions. We'll keep you updated on that.
KYUK: Thank you, Senator Murkowski.
Murkowski: Thanks, Anna Rose. Bye bye.
