Hatch Presses Feds To Step Up Flood Relief

HATCH PRESSES FEDS TO STEP UP FLOOD RELIEF

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) brought Utah's Congressional delegation together today to call on Federal disaster relief officials to address the needs of Washington County before the area suffers again from severe flooding during the spring runoff.

"The initial response from the Federal government was phenomenal," Hatch said. "But that sense of urgency has devolved into too much fingerpointing among agencies. Unfortunately, we have agencies taking a bureaucratic approach instead of a can do attitude."

Hatch invited Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., St. George Mayor Daniel McArthur, and Washington County Water District General Manager Ron Thompson to a Utah Congressional delegation meeting this morning to express their frustrations with disaster relief officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Army Corps of Engineers.

"Washington County has struggled to get bridges rebuilt, riverbeds restored, and roads reconstructed," Hatch said. "There's a record snowpack ready to come down these river corridors, and these three agencies must respond so this area is not hit with another disaster."

Hatch and Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) worked to include an additional $66 million in the Senate version of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriation to fund the NRCS in their efforts to restore the Virgin and Santa Clara riverbeds. The appropriations bill is now before the Senate.

"We have worked so hard to get this money, which the NRCS says it needs to complete its work," Hatch said. "But money's not the only issue — we have money right now that isn't getting spent because of too much red tape. Everyone just needs to come together and get the job done."

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