FEMA to Pick Up 90 Percent of Alabama Tab For Hurricane Ivan

March 8, 2005
County and city governments in Alabama will avoid having to pay about 15 percent of Hurricane Ivan cleanup costs.

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. (AP) -- County and city governments in Alabama will avoid having to pay about 15 percent of Hurricane Ivan cleanup costs under a plan in which the federal government will pick up 90 percent of the tab and the state the rest.

Baldwin County officials met with Gov. Bob Riley on Monday afternoon to formally receive word that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay 90 percent.

Not-for-profit utilities like the Baldwin EMC electrical cooperative are also saved from paying millions in cleanup and repair costs. FEMA generally pays 75 percent of these expenses, with the state paying 10 percent and counties and municipalities the remaining 15 percent.

Riley credited President Bush with coming to the aid of Alabama's local governments that had heavy debris-removal and related costs after Ivan tore through the state.

''As most of you know, this is his discretionary call,'' Riley said. ''But I think he understood after he came down and he took a helicopter ride over, he understood how unique this situation was, and he said then, 'I'm determined to do whatever I can do to help you get through this.'''

The persistent efforts of Riley and U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, also were described as crucial in lifting the cleanup and repair costs from the local governments.

''It would have been easy to have given up when we were told 'no' the first 50 times,'' said state Sen. Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose. ''But they didn't.''

The decision applies to debris-removal costs and several other hurricane-related expenses that local governments typically share. Mobile County and most of its municipalities were already slated to be reimbursed for debris removal because they contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But FEMA's decision will reimburse Mobile County and its municipalities for other hurricane-related expenses that they previously expected to pay.

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