Manchin, Rockefeller, Rahall, Capito, McKinley Urge Reinstatement of FEMA Assistance to Help with Elk River Spill
Delegation urges President to support Governor Tomblin's appeal
Washington, D.C. – This week, Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, along with Representatives Nick Rahall, Shelley Moore Capito, and David McKinley, asked President Obama and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator W. Craig Fugate to reconsider a recent decision by FEMA and appealed this week by Governor Earl Ray Tombin, which denied West Virginia’s request for federal assistance and emergency protective measures following the January 9 chemical spill in the Elk River. The delegation noted in their letter that the costs incurred in the immediate response to the disaster by state and local agencies were “enormous”, and that they “continue to rise”.
“We respectfully request that the Governor’s appeal be granted, so that state and local agencies that incurred unprecedented costs can apply for reimbursement of eligible costs under the Public Assistance program. This unimaginable disaster rises to a level of severity and magnitude that warrants further federal assistance. We ask for your direct involvement to ensure that FEMA is able to help our citizens fully recover from this event of national and international significance,” the delegation wrote.
Read the delegation’s full letter here or below:
March 12, 2014
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Copy To:
Administrator W. Craig Fugate
Federal Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
500 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20472
Dear President Obama:
We write in full support of the State of West Virginia’s appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Category B Emergency Protective Measures, including direct funding assistance, in response to the devastating contamination of our State’s water supply on January 9, 2014. With FEMA’s denial of our State’s earlier request for additional federal support, we ask that you broadly interpret the Stafford Act in considering our State’s appeal and making available resources from the necessary agencies.
As the Governor stated in his initial request letter to FEMA on January 27th, the costs incurred in the immediate response to this disaster were enormous, and unfortunately, those costs continue to rise. The Governor provided a detailed outline of the estimated costs in yesterday’s appeal. He also stated that the economic impact of this disaster is approximately $61 million, bringing the total impact to more than $72 million.
We respectfully request that the Governor’s appeal be granted, so that state and local agencies that incurred unprecedented costs can apply for reimbursement of eligible costs under the Public Assistance program. This unimaginable disaster rises to a level of severity and magnitude that warrants further federal assistance. We ask for your direct involvement to ensure that FEMA is able to help our citizens fully recover from this event of national and international significance.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this important matter.
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