FEMA Grants $8.6 Million in Public Assistance to Restore Gaillard Island Levee/Berm System
Release Date: January 26, 2006
Release Number: 1605-170
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a total of $8,575,826 for Alabama State Port Authority to restore the levy/berm system protecting Gaillard Island on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The grant was awarded through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program.
Gaillard is a man-made island owned and maintained by the Alabama State Port Authority. It was built to store de-water dredge spoils from Mobile Bay and provide a protected wildlife refuge for brown pelicans. On August 29, 2005 the tidal surge associated with Hurricane Katrina eroded and destroyed the island’s levy/berm system. The damaged berm measures 31,680 feet in length. Damages to the berm system include: the 1,000’ X 60’ X 9’ channel that provided access for heavy equipment; the wier box, or spoils liquid drainage system; and approximately 4’ X 3’ of rip rap lost along approximately 15,840 feet at the southwestern exposure of the island.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notified the Alabama State Port Authority that the rebuilding of the berm will be performed in lifts of approximately six feet due to the poor compaction of available fill material. This will delay the completion of the project by more than two years and will require two additional mobilization/demobilization charges. The project will salvage approximately 364,320 cubic yards of existing spoils in the containment area and thus reduce the required fill from 1,077,120 cubic yards to 712,800 cubic yards.
Under the FEMA Public Assistance program, state and local governments and certain private non-profits are eligible for partial reimbursement for the repair or restoration of public infrastructure, as well as for the cost of debris removal and emergency measures taken following a federal disaster declaration.
The $8.57 million grant represents a 75 percent federal share of the total project cost of $11.4 million. The remaining 25 percent is from non-federal resources.
To be eligible for the grants, the cost to repair a particular site must exceed $1,000 and the work must be required as a result of the disaster and located within the designated disaster area. The repair and restoration is the responsibility of the agency applying for the grant and must be necessary to protect life and property.
Last Modified: Friday, 27-Jan-2006 13:28:22