By Emily Burleigh

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will be receiving $15,143,867.90 in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants in disaster aid.

This funding is part of $40,698,890 in FEMA storm recovery funding that was announced by U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“This $40 million will help Louisiana Communities recover from Hurricanes Laura, Ida, and Zeta and other storms that have damaged our state,” Kennedy said.

$11,291,912.15 will be distributed to District 7, which includes Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Allen, and Jeff Davis parishes, for Public Assistance Alternative Procedures Debris Removal operations. These removal operations are being initiated as a result of Hurricane Laura.

In response to the damages caused by Hurricane Laura, force account labor, force account equipment and contract services to conduct debris removal and debris monitoring activities.

According to metrics from Senator Kennedy’s office, 718,256 cubic yards (CY) of vegetative debris, 139,010 CY of construction and demolition debris, 35,868 CY of sand/oil/mud, 177 items of household hazardous water, 574 of hazardous stumps, and 1 hazardous vehicle were removed from the rights-of-way.

Examining the costs of FAL straight time, FAL overtime, contract services of debris removal and monitoring, and dump charges accrued between October 14, 2020 and November 12, 2020, determined the funding.

This debris was sent to 23 final disposal sites, and temporary debris staging sites were utilized.

LADOTD District 3, which consists of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermillion parishes, will be receiving two FEMA grants: 1 award of $1,363,908.22 and 1 award of $2,488,047.54.

Funding is authorized under Section 428 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.