FEMA Awards More than $11.2 Million to New Mexico for Debris and Sediment Removal

FEMA Awards More than $11.2 Million to New Mexico for Debris and Sediment Removal

DENTON, Texas – More than $11.2 million has recently been awarded to the state of New Mexico by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for debris and sediment removal from a number of retention ponds in the aftermath of severe storms and torrential rains in late August 2011.

The storms and rains over a previously burned area caused severe runoff into multiple retaining ponds within the boundaries of the Santa Clara Pueblo, filling the ponds with debris and sediment. The funding will cover costs for equipment, labor and contracts to remove and dispose of the sediment and debris from the ponds and restore them to pre-disaster condition.

“Debris and sediment removal activities such as this are necessary because the debris can pose a significant threat to the lives and safety of residents,” said FEMA Region 6 Acting Administrator Tony Robinson. “These ponds serve as catch basins, keeping the debris and sediment from inundating the Santa Clara Pueblo.”

FEMA’s contribution, made possible by a Public Assistance grant, represents a 75 percent federal cost share. FEMA awards funding for projects directly to the state of New Mexico; the state then forwards the grant to the eligible applicant.

###

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.