Tester meets with area residents to address levee issues Play Video
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 7:08 PM
Updated: Mar 12, 2010 7:09 PM
U.S. Senator Jon Tester hosted a meeting in Great Falls on Friday to discuss the levee certification process being utilized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Tester said that he's already been working with both FEMA and the Army Corps to get to the bottom of the issue but he wanted to gather feedback from the people who live in these areas.
Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the federal government has required communities that are vulnerable to flooding to certify that their levees are up to code. If a community’s levees are not certified, their area may be labeled “flood hazard zones,” thereby increasing their flood insurance rates.
Tester sent a letter to the Army Corps several days ago asking why Montana communities have to pay for private certification of levees, whereas in other states, the Corps has continued certifying levees.
Community leaders from across the state attended the meeting on Friday to air their concerns.
Many citizens told the Tester that there is little communication between FEMA, the agency requiring levees be certified, and the Army Corps, the agency doing the certifications.
Tester said, "Quite honestly this isn't a Montana issue. I talked to Jack Reed from Rhode Island, which is a state smaller than Chouteau County probably. And he said that they are having the same issues in Rhode Island so it's all over the country, and I think we have an opportunity here to try and apply some pressure and I'm looking for ideas from you guys on where you want it applied."
Cascade County leadership and members of the state Water Policy Interim Committee asked Tester to get FEMA to delay its de-accreditation process which would raise insurance rates for residents living in flood plain areas.
Tester says he's already discussed it with FEMA and said the the conversation didn't go the way he planned, but he'll keep working on it.
Senator Tester also suggested conference calls between the agencies and those affected in Montana.
He plans to take the information he gathered today back with him to Washington.
