[StBernard] Faith-based group offers home demolition in St. Bernard, Plaquemines parishes

[Westley Annis]

Faith-based group offers home demolition in St. Bernard, Plaquemines
parishes
May 22, 2006   


A national faith-based construction group says it is ready to begin free
demolition of homes in St. Bernard Parish. 

"We help the widowed, disabled, elderly and disaster victims" by using
volunteer contractors from around the country to demolish homes, said Robert
McKee, director of the Lee County, Fla., chapter of the Christian
Contractors Association. 

McKee told the St. Bernard Parish Council earlier this month, that
volunteers with his chapter have been working in Plaquemines Parish for
about four weeks and have demolished about 90 houses. Other chapters are
working in Slidell and Biloxi, he said. 

Residents of Plaquemines or St. Bernard parishes can call McKee's group for
a free demolition that will include tearing up the slab, a service not
provided in the government-handled demolition. 

Lawrence Green, chief operating officer of Unified Recovery Group which is
the parish's debris and demolition contractor, said his company would work
with McKee's group would to pick up the debris after the demolitions are
complete, but cautioned homeowners that it doesn't remove slabs. 

He said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency won't cover the cost of
removing slabs because they don't pose a health or safety hazard, he said. 

Green also said FEMA is refusing to reimburse for demolishing homes affected
by the Murphy Oil spill. 

McKee however, said his group will demolish any homes in St. Bernard for
free, including those within the oil spill area and those containing
asbestos. 

For more information, interested persons should call 1- (800) 278-7703.