Sen. Landrieu, Rep. Richmond, Mayor Landrieu Announce $14.3M in FEMA Grants

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond, D-La., and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu today announced $14.3 million for hurricane recovery grants related to Hurricane Katrina to the City of New Orleans for road and street repairs, as well the St. Bernard Parish Sanitary Sewage Collection System. The grants are provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Program.

"Many of our roads and other critical infrastructure are still in desperate need of fixing, and this funding for repairs will make a tangible difference in the daily lives of citizens living in New Orleans and St. Bernard," Sen. Landrieu said. "Our families, industries and small businesses all depend on solid infrastructure for safe communities and economic growth."

"More than seven years after Hurricane Katrina, many of our roads and streets are in need of repair," Rep. Richmond said. " The federal funding announced today will be immensely beneficial in improving these damaged roadways, re-establishing infrastructure that is essential to the quality of life for our residents, and getting our neighborhoods back on track."

"These recovery dollars will help repair Hurricane Katrina-damaged streets in the Lower Ninth Ward, Lakeview, and Milneburg neighborhoods," Mayor Landrieu said. "We are making progress every day, and will continue to work with FEMA to identify new eligible funding for storm-damaged infrastructure."

Today's grants include:

$9.5 million to the City of New Orleans for road and street repairs. Due to extensive flooding from Hurricane Katrina, the roads, streets, sidewalks and curbs under the jurisdiction of the City of New Orleans sustained significant damage. The city owns and maintains a system of 13,600 city blocks and 1,600 miles of streets and roads. Today's grants provide for architectural/engineering and material testing fees in the following neighborhoods:

$2 million for the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood
$4.6 million for the Lakeview neighborhood
$2.7 million for the Milneburg neighborhood

$4.8 Million to St. Bernard Parish for the Sanitary Sewage Collection System. St. Bernard Parish sustained extensive and severe wind and flood damage due to Hurricane Katrina. The damage extended to its critical utilities, such as the gravity flow sanitary sewer collection system. Floodwaters entered the system through the open manholes under dynamic velocity pressures, entered the buried sewer pipeline system, carrying debris and sediment that had no route of discharge. Manhole repairs consist of repointing face brick, partial renewal of the cementations coatings, replacement of a small number of manhole covers and minor adjustments to grade. Other eligible estimated project costs include recording fees, construction administration services, inspection and material testing services.

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