Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today asked Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to personally review delays, pertaining to Roseau’s flood relief efforts, at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Dayton informed Chertoff of the extensive delays Roseau has experienced throughout the FEMA grant application process.

The city of Roseau applied for a Hazard Mitigation grant in April of 2003; FEMA granted the award in January of 2006—nearly three years after the June, 2002 flood that ravaged 80 percent of the city. Further, the city made a separate grant application in 2003, and was not informed until December 6, 2005 that it had been denied.

Below is Senator Dayton’s exchange with Secretary Chertoff.

DAYTON: I’m going to give you a letter regarding Roseau, Minnesota. I mentioned this the last time that you were here. They applied three years ago—this city that was flooded in Northwestern Minnesota—they applied three years ago for one grant that was finally approved by the FEMA Region 5 office. They’ve got another one, for $619,000, that was denied. They began the application process in March of 2003. The city flooded in June of 2002. They were denied this in December of 2005. They are now in an appeals process. I mean, this is crazy—three years after a process, for a city that’s trying to rebuild itself. So, I’d ask you, if you would, give that your personal attention, please.

CHERTOFF: I will.

The full text of Senator Dayton’s letter to Secretary Chertoff is attached.

March 1, 2006

The Honorable Michael Chertoff Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing to express my deep concern with the delays that the City of Roseau, Minnesota has experienced in the decision making process at FEMA, with regard to the city’s Stafford Disaster Relief funding. I respectfully urge the Department to give this matter its immediate attention.

On June 12, 2002, Roseau, Minnesota, a small northwestern community with a population of 2789, was devastated by the flooding of the Roseau River. Four years later they are still struggling to recover from the devastation of the flood and attempting to wade through the myriad of red tape and delay associated with FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

The city of Roseau first applied for Hazard Mitigation Grant Funds on April 29, 2003. After waiting nearly three years, and after several months of inquiries from my office to FEMA Region V, FEMA announced that Roseau was awarded $1,927,500 on January 31, 2006.

In a separate process, the city began conversations with FEMA Region V regarding another project in March of 2003. That request, for a grant of $619,000, was denied by FEMA Region V on December 6, 2005, nearly three years after the initial application process began. The city appealed that decision on January 27, 2006.

It is my understanding that FEMA’s Region V Director must render his decision within 90 days from the date of the receipt of the appeal, or request additional information from the city. The city would then have an additional 60 days to respond, followed by an additional 90 days for a follow-up response from the Director. Despite the confusion of this process, it is defined more clearly than the majority of FEMA’s policies and interpretation of those policies by FEMA staff. FEMA’s Public Assistance program under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations was designed by Congress to provide aid to communities to help them recover from a major disaster as quickly as possible. Ideally, the Public Assistance program should provide applicants with a simple and consistently administered grant program. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case.

It should not take three years after a flood for a city in such desperate need to get approval for a $619,000 project that has been pending in a regional office for years. I call on you to look into this matter and provide an explanation as to why the process has been so drawn out and what, if any, steps can be taken to expedite this process in the future, not only for Roseau, but other communities in similar situations such as those in the Gulf Coast.

Sincerely,

Mark Dayton United States Senator

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