REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
EMERGENCY AID ANNOUNCEMENT
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
AUGUST 10, 2007
10:30 AM (CDT)
Good morning, and thank you for joining us today.
This is my third trip to Minneapolis since the tragic bridge collapse on August
1. I don’t think I will ever forget the images that I saw when I arrived the
next morning. My heartfelt prayers remain with those who have lost loved ones,
and to the families still waiting for loved ones to be found.
I continue to be impressed by the courage and positive spirit of the people
here. Among the things that stand out is the superb effort of the local
officials. And I would like to take a moment to recognize Captain Mike Martin of
the Minneapolis Police. Mike has just been promoted to Inspector. From what
America has seen this past week, the promotion is well-earned. Congratulations!
I am also pleased to be joined by Governor Pawlenty and members of Minnesota’s
congressional delegation. We met earlier this morning, and it is wonderful to
see everyone working together to help Minneapolis respond to this terrible
tragedy.
I have spoken with Navy Secretary Winter, Interior Secretary Kempthorne, EPA
Administrator Johnson, and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten to make sure
they are fully engaged and keep them informed of our progress. Their cooperation
has helped make possible the broad and coordinated response from across the
federal government, such as the FBI and Navy divers who have been on site
helping in the recovery effort.
We have officials from DOD, DHS, the U.S. Coast Guard, the FBI, FEMA, EPA, OSHA,
and the National Park Service working side by side here in Minneapolis.
And, of course, our team from the Department of Transportation continues to work
closely with NTSB – both here and back in Washington – to fully understand the
reason for the collapse, so we can address any findings in a swift manner.
Let me add how much I appreciate Federal Highway Administrator Rick Capka acting
as my eyes and ears here on the ground. And since I know transit will play an
important role in the recovery efforts, I also have deployed Sherry Little,
Deputy Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, to Minneapolis to
sort through the transit issues.
We heard yesterday from Lt. Governor-Commissioner Molnau that the magnitude of
this event is straining Minnesota’s limited budget for emergencies, and that the
state needs federal funds to quickly proceed with emergency work.
Today, I am here to announce that we are making $50 million in federal emergency
relief aid available to support the state’s work. These funds are in addition to
the $5 million in emergency aid we released the morning after the bridge
collapse.
This past Monday, President Bush signed legislation authorizing $250 million in
emergency relief. While we are waiting for these funds to be appropriated, we
want to make sure the state has the resources it needs to move forward.
MN-DOT will use these funds to pay the bills that are coming in for clean-up and
recovery work, including clearing debris and re-routing traffic, as well as for
design work on a new bridge.
Even while we continue to clear the wreckage, plans are moving forward to
rebuild this bridge. Here again, we are clearing the way for the state to move
forward faster.
We will make sure the necessary reviews take place in a way that does not affect
the timeline for construction.
The President made it clear that this bridge will not get stuck in red tape –
and I am here to deliver on that pledge.
We will continue to work hand in hand with state and local officials and the
congressional delegation to get Minnesota the federal support it needs and to
clear the hurdles from the road to recovery for Minneapolis.
# # #
Briefing
Room
