Boozman testifies on levee certification challenges
Washington,
Apr 2, 2008 -
U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today testified in front of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management on the practical impact of National Flood Plain Remapping.
“Communities in my district have been exposed to a confusing and unclear process that has failed to address their questions and concerns in a clear and consistent manner,” Boozman told committee members in his testimony.
Boozman specifically spoke of the challenges of Crawford County the city of Van Buren that owns and maintains a 23 mile-long levee on the Arkansas River.
“When the Map Modernization process began for Crawford County, the County and the City of Van Buren were told by FEMA that one of their options was to work with the Corps of Engineers to have their levee certified. As a result, Crawford County and the City of Van Buren have been proactive in formally enlisting the assistance of the Corps of Engineers,” Boozman said in his testimony.
Boozman says the process of getting that levee certified has been difficult because of a statutory barrier, the “Thomas Amendment”, a law passed in 2000 that permits the Corps to provide commercially available engineering services only if these are "not reasonably and quickly available through ordinary business channels" and that the Corps is "uniquely equipped to perform such services."
This will at the very least delay the Corps of Engineers process for certification of the levee and not allow the county and the city to meet the April 2009 deadline set by FEMA.
You can read the complete testimony given by Boozman in front of the committee by clicking here.
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