Dispute Delays Federal Gulf Coast Cleanup

Dispute Delays Federal Gulf Coast Cleanup

By LARA JAKES JORDAN
The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 28, 2006; 4:24 AM

WASHINGTON -- Massive amounts of hurricane wreckage _ if piled atop a football field
it would reach almost two miles into the air _ remain on the Gulf Coast. Yet the Bush
administration says it can't clear it quickly without trampling private property rights.

Local officials say that, with hurricane season under way, the delay could hamper another
government duty: public safety.

Ten months after Hurricane Katrina, about one-sixth of the debris that littered Gulf Coast
communities remains _ an estimated 20 million cubic yards. Much of the rubble is from damaged
homes and businesses that the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it cannot clear
away without first getting approval from property owners and insurers.

"We're in hurricane season now and the stuff is going to go flying all over if we have another
storm," said Marnie Winter, environmental director in Jefferson Parish, La., which borders New
Orleans and extends to the Gulf of Mexico. "We need to get this up and stop quibbling over
whether it's eligible."

The controversy comes as FEMA considers whether to continue paying the full cost of removing debris in the hurricane disaster area, a program slated to end Friday.

Local officials in New Orleans and surrounding parishes called Tuesday for extending the deadline, calling themselves cash-strapped as they try to manage other priorities. Without the extra aid, Washington will pay for 90 percent of debris removal cost, with local governments picking up the remaining 10 percent.