President Amends Columbia Emergency Declaration To Include All Affected States
Release Date: February 6, 2003
Release Number: HQ-03-038
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Washington, DC -- Michael Brown, deputy director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced today that President Bush has amended the emergency declaration issued for Texas in the wake of the loss of space shuttle Columbia to include all states in which material from the spacecraft is found.
"The President recognizes that this an unprecedented disaster and more than a few states have been affected by it," Brown said. "His action today lends further support to our mission for recovering as much evidence as possible to aid the investigation into the cause of this tragic accident."
In addition to the assistance provided for Texas and Louisiana under emergency declarations issued last Saturday, Brown said the President's amendment specifically authorizes FEMA to pay 100 percent of the federal cost for retrieving debris in any other state that the agency determines assistance is required.
Brown said that at least 16 states already have reported finding parts of the spacecraft. He advised other states that discover debris to contact the federal disaster field office in Lufkin, Texas at (936) 699-1032 or (936) 699-1034.
FEMA is the lead agency for coordinating the federal assistance and directing other federal agencies in the recovery of Columbia's remains.
Last Modified: Friday, 11-Apr-2003 13:11:02