West Virginia wants more disaster funding, FEMA says no [View all]
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is appealing a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to end assistance to state and local agencies a month after a chemical spill contaminated drinking water for more than 300,000 residents.
In a letter to Tomblin earlier this week, FEMA deputy associate administrator Elizabeth Zimmerman said the spill didn’t rise to disaster status.
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FEMA granted emergency assistance to nine counties impacted by the spill, in the Elk River, on Jan. 10. But the agency denied Tomblin’s Jan. 27 request to extend that aid to cover spending by local agencies to mitigate threats to life, safety and health.
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A FEMA spokesman told the Charleston Gazette that the agency has already provided 7 million liters of water to the state, and 130,000 meals. But, the spokesman said, the agency decided the ongoing recovery costs were not beyond local and state capabilities.
“I am appalled that FEMA feels that an emergency that leaves 300,000 people without access to clean water is not severe enough to warrant additional federal assistance,” Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R), who represents the heart of the impacted area, told the Gazette in a statement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/13/west-virginia-wants-more-disaster-funding-fema-says-no/
Ms. Shelley Moore Capito (R) I'm appalled that you're looking to the federal government to help clean up the multi-million dollar mess that your policies created. Maybe you should be talking to Freedom Industries about help with the disaster. Governor Tomblin is a Dem so at least he'd support legislation to stop this from happening in the future. Moore-Capito I think would take the money and run. As soon as the taxpayers of W Virgina and the federal gov't pick up the multi-million dollar tab she'll be right back to "small government" and "job killing regulations."
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