[StBernard] FEMA Obligate Additional Funds for St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

FEMA Obligate Additional Funds for St. Bernard Parish 
By: Community Reports
Updated: 11 hrs ago
The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency
announced today that an additional $83.9 million has been obligated for
Katrina- and Rita-related projects in St. Bernard Parish.

This latest money is part of a group of FEMA funds that total $633.9
million, to date, for St. Bernard Parish. This money is intended for
projects related to hospitals, schools, courthouses, government buildings,
and other infrastructure repairs.  More money will be obligated as other
projects are approved.

More than $202 million has been obligated for the St. Bernard Parish School
System, for work on Andrew Jackson High, Chalmette High, Lacoste Elementary,
Arabi Elementary, N.P. Trist Middle, and Beauregard Middle, among others.
The work includes not only replacement of buildings, gymnasiums and athletic
facilities, but also new furniture, computer equipment and classroom
supplies.  

Other projects in this latest group of funds include:

The St. Bernard Port Harbor Terminal District - $3.8 million for temporary
facilities and replacement of vehicles, office equipment, weigh scales,
sewer systems, and security fencing; 

The St. Bernard Parish Water Treatment Plant - $2.1 million for repairs that
include new pump motors, water storage tanks, and renovations to various
administrative buildings; 

The St. Bernard Parish Sewer System - $2.8 million for repair of 92 lift
stations, more than 3,400 manholes, and work on sewer force mains; and 

The St. Bernard Parish libraries - $3.8 million for the main branch in
Chalmette, as well as the Ducros branch, which included replacement of
computers, furniture, books and video equipment.   

FEMA money will also go to the Civic Center and the sheriff's office, for
replacement of 120 fleet vehicles, and personnel and equipment for the 911
Public Safety Answering Point in Chalmette. 

To date, more than 3.4 million cubic yards of debris have been removed in
St. Bernard Parish. To put this in perspective, this amount of debris would
fill up approximately172,640 regular size garbage trucks.   

Jim Stark, director of FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office, said,
"This is but one example of how FEMA is working very closely with the state
and local applicants to restore the infrastructure to what it was before the
storms."

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.