[StBernard] LRA Submits Letter of Public Comment to FEMA

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana Recovery Authority Submits Letter of Public Comment to FEMA on Proposed HMGP Exemption to Allow Retroactive Funding for Mitigation Activities

BATON ROUGE, LA (November 8, 2007) - On Tuesday, Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Deputy Director Adam Knapp submitted a letter the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to their request for public comment on the Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) of the proposed exemption for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program in Louisiana and Mississippi which will allow retroactive funding of eligible mitigation projects. 

"This change is very important to the homeowners of Louisiana and Mississippi who have been seeking assistance to mitigate their homes in order to prevent future damages, but who have been stalled for far too long in their process of rebuilding," said LRA Deputy Director Adam Knapp. 

"FEMA has stepped up to introduce flexibility to a federal program at a critical moment, and the agency should be applauded for their efforts.

"We support the proposed exemption which will allow mitigation activities initiated prior to FEMA's approval of HMGP funding to be excluded from environmental review and therefore eligible for reimbursement. Its estimated 19,000 Louisianans who've already begun elevation work on their homes could benefit from this program change."

"However, we do have concerns that the new guidelines they have proposed could continue to restrict many families who are doing the right thing from being eligible for funding, and we are recommending a detailed list of changes to continually improve the quality, pace and flexibility of FEMA's hazard mitigation program."

Click here to read the letter 
<http://lra.louisiana.gov/assets/LRAPublicComment110607.pdf> . 

FEMA published a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for a proposed exception to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that FEMA is currently considering which will allow retroactive funding of eligible mitigation projects. 

This PEA is available for public review online at: http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/envdocuments/hmgp-pea.shtm <http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/envdocuments/hmgp-pea.shtm> 

FEMA's public comment ended on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.

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