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Regular Session, 2011 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 78
BY SENATOR ERDEY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the members of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress,
the governor, and the director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to assist Livingston Parish in
successfully resolving outstanding administrative appeals filed with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reimbursement of costs incurred in
association with debris removal in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.
WHEREAS, in September, 2008, Hurricane Gustav caused severe property damage
in Livingston Parish leaving an insurmountable amount of debris in, and alongside, public
roadsides and in publicly maintained streams and canals throughout the parish; and
WHEREAS, the debris posed an immediate threat to the lives and property of the
citizens of Livingston Parish; and
WHEREAS, officials with FEMA and GOHSEP urged government officials in
Livingston Parish to treat the existence of debris as a public emergency and to have the
debris removed as quickly as possible; and
WHEREAS, government officials in Livingston Parish informed FEMA and
GOHSEP of the inability of the parish to pay the hefty price tag associated with the debris
removal without receiving federal assistance to defray the cost; and
WHEREAS, those government officials received assurances that federal
reimbursement would be forthcoming; and
WHEREAS, in response to the urging of FEMA and GOHSEP, and relying upon
assurances provided regarding reimbursement, Livingston Parish hired contractors and
incurred tens of millions of dollars in costs that it lacks the resources to pay; and
WHEREAS, scores of Louisiana contractors, relying upon full reimbursement from
FEMA, utilized their resources to clean up Livingston Parish; and
WHEREAS, FEMA maintained monitors in the field to observe the debris removal
undertaken by the parish and consistently assured parish officials that the work performed
would be eligible for reimbursement; and SCR NO. 78 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, to date, Livingston Parish has not been reimbursed for the majority of
costs it incurred for debris removal, including those costs specifically identified by FEMA
personnel told to officials as being eligible for reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, Livingston Parish is currently pursuing two administrative appeals
before FEMA in which it seeks to obtain approximately sixty-two million seven hundred
sixty-one thousand eight hundred seventy-nine dollars ($62,761,879.00) in federal funding,
as that amount relates to FEMA Project Worksheet Nos. 54v1, 05590, 05591, 05593, and
05594; and
WHEREAS, delays by FEMA in reimbursing Livingston Parish for the debris
removal project has left Livingston Parish in a precarious financial position and left many
Louisiana companies and individuals providing those services facing financial ruin.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the members of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress, the
governor, and the director of GOHSEP to assist Livingston Parish in successfully resolving
outstanding administrative appeals filed for reimbursement of costs incurred by the parish,
and deemed eligible by FEMA, in association with debris removal in the aftermath of
Hurricane Gustav.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each
member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress, the governor of
Louisiana, and the director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES