FEMA Announces Additional $17 Million For Plaquemines Parish
Over $18 million obligated for Katrina- and Rita-related damage
Release Date: October 26, 2006
Release Number: 1603-566
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that $18.2 million has been obligated to help Plaquemines Parish recover from the damages caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita one year ago.
The additional money obligated to Plaquemines Parish today is part of a group of FEMA funds for Public Assistance (PA) projects that total $195.8 million to date. This money is intended for schools, hospitals, courthouses and government buildings, among others. More money will be obligated as other projects are approved.
The package announced today includes funds for new furniture, computers and equipment for the sheriff’s juvenile detention center, replacement of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Domestic Violence Center in Port Sulphur, and renovations to the Diamond Field Recreational Facility. In addition, $8.3 million will go to the parish itself, for the expense of removing asbestos-containing materials throughout the area immediately after the disaster.
The Plaquemines Parish projects also include:
The Plaquemines Parish School Board – $59.1 million for schools, including Boothville High, Venice High, Port Sulphur High, Belle Chasse Middle, and Buras Middle, for both renovations and replacement of contents;
Plaquemines Medical Center – $3.8 million for construction of a temporary facility, temporary electrical and phone systems, replacement of fleet vehicles, furniture, fixtures and equipment;
The Empire Civic Center – $726,271 for replacement of the entire facility; and
The Woodlawn Radio Tower – $405,577 for replacing the tower, including not only the 199-foot galvanized steel structure, but also the climbing system and tower lights. This is a regional communications tower used by parishes such as Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
In Plaquemines Parish, a total of 2.3 million cubic yards of debris left by the storms have been removed. To put this in perspective, this amount of debris would fill up approximately 115,000 regular size garbage trucks.
When projects are obligated by FEMA, the funds go into an account the state can draw money from through a simple transaction. The state generally receives the funds within 72 hours. It then disperses the money to the agency doing the project. The state may require additional documentation before it releases the money to the local applicant.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government buildings, roads and bridges, schools, water and sewer plants, recreational facilities owned by government agencies, some facilities owned by nonprofit agencies, and other publicly owned facilities. FEMA can set aside money to bring each project back to its pre-disaster function and capacity, and the state distributes the money. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 26-Oct-2006 10:56:02