Japan announced a gift of $5 million to the United States on Friday to help cleanup debris from the March 2011 tsunami.
Japan announced a gift of $5 million to the United States on Friday to help cleanup debris from the March 2011 tsunami.
The donation is expected to be split up between the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii.
But how much Hawaii will receive and when the money will arrive is not yet clear.
John Ewald, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman, said in an email that the federal agency will provide the funds through “formal agreements to Hawaii and other regions” affected by the debris.
“NOAA’s Marine Debris Program is working cooperatively with partners to determine their needs and decide on a plan and timeline for distributing funds,” he said.
“The exact day of funds transfer is entirely up to Japan.”
NOAA had previously provided $50,000 each to the five states to clean up the debris travelling across the Pacific Ocean.
The International Pacific Research Center lists 14 items either confirmed or thought to be from Japan that have washed on to Hawaii’s shores since September.
They include a large yellow container stuck on a Ka‘u shoreline.