Dispute Delays Federal Gulf Coast Cleanup

[Judi Lynn]

Dispute Delays Federal Gulf Coast Cleanup
Property Rights Dispute Delays Federal Cleanup in Gulf Coast
By LARA JAKES JORDAN

WASHINGTON Jun 28, 2006 (AP)— Massive amounts of hurricane wreckage if piled atop a football field it would reach almost two miles into the air remain on the Gulf Coast. Yet the Bush administration says it can't clear it quickly without trampling private property rights.

Local officials say that, with hurricane season under way, the delay could hamper another government duty: public safety.

Ten months after Hurricane Katrina, about one-sixth of the debris that littered Gulf Coast communities remains an estimated 20 million cubic yards. Much of the rubble is from damaged homes and businesses that the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it cannot clear away without first getting approval from property owners and insurers.

"We're in hurricane season now and the stuff is going to go flying all over if we have another storm," said Marnie Winter, environmental director in Jefferson Parish, La., which borders New Orleans and extends to the Gulf of Mexico. "We need to get this up and stop quibbling over whether it's eligible."
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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2128426&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

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