[StBernard] Melancon Works to Resolve St. Bernard Parish and FEMA Debris Removal Contract Dispute

[Westley Annis]

At what point will St. Bernard Parish have to file for bankruptcy/insolvency
declaring itself null and void in dealing with subsequent parish issues?

--jer--

-----------------------------------------------------
	WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon and U.S. Sen. Mary
Landrieu today sent Federal Emergency Management Agency Director R. David
Paulison a letter requesting a meeting between interested parties to resolve
an ongoing issue with debris removal contracts in St. Bernard Parish.
Parish government officials have said the parish may have to file for
bankruptcy if this problem is not favorably resolved.  FEMA has not
reimbursed the Paris! h for tens of millions of dollars for debris removal
work, including essential sewage pumping and transport to a treatment plant,
due to incomplete Project Worksheets. The contractor hired to remove sewage
in the parish has said they will not be able to continue their essential
work without compensation and St. Bernard Parish may soon be facing a public
health crisis. In addition, St. Bernard Parish believes that FEMA grossly
underestimated the costs for many projects in the parish and the parish now
faces an additional $30 million shortfall for demolition and debris work
already completed.  
	 
	"We understand statutory requirements and agency policy, but
Hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery and rebuilding efforts have been greatly
impeded by bureaucracy," Rep. Melancon and Sen. Landrieu state in the
letter. "However, we must address pressing needs, and the issues between
FEMA, SBP [St. Bernard Parish], and [the contractor] are urgent.  If [the
contractor] is unable to continue its sewage pumping project, St. Bernard
public officials tell us there will literally be sewage in the streets, thus
causing a health hazard to the residents trying t! o return to St. Bernard."
	 
	St. Bernard Parish has requested two meetings with representatives
from FEMA, the state, and other interested parties, and on both occasions
FEMA has refused to attend, claiming either that they were not invited or
that it is their policy to work directly with the state not local
governments or contractors.  In their letter to Director Paulison, Rep.
Melancon and Sen. Landrieu ask that the FEMA head facilitate a meeting so
that these urgent issues can finally be resolved before St. Bernard Parish
is forced to consider filing for bankruptcy.
	 
	Rep. Melancon added today, "This bureaucratic gridlock has already
gone on for too long, and we need to resolve it as soon as possible so that
the people of St. Bernard Parish aren't subjected to yet another crisis.  I
urge Director Paulison to act quickly in bringing all affected parties to
the table so we can come up with a solution that will help, rather than
impede, St. Bernard Parish's recovery from the catastrophic damage caused by
Hurricane Katrina."
	 
	 
	# # #