OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

Date: April 27, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment which helps to ensure that communities ravaged by wildfires, including the recent October fires, get the help they need to recover.

Last year, we saw the worst fire season in California history. The October fires alone included 21 major fires that were fought by 11,000 firefighters burning nearly 245,000 acres. Those fires forced 100,000 people to evacuate and destroyed 8,900 homes and structures. Tragically, 44 people lost their lives.

The City of Santa Rosa is located in my district and was hit especially hard by the October fires with over 3,000 homes and businesses destroyed. In the Fountaingrove neighborhood, north of downtown, the contamination in the water system that resulted directly from the fire melting the plastic water lines and appurtenances servicing 350 homes, must be replaced due to ongoing contamination of benzene, a toxic organic chemical.

As our communities move forward on the long road to recovery, we are finding that the needs of suburban and urban communities impacted by devastating wildfires don't always fit neatly into some of FEMA's current rules and regulations, which seem geared towards hurricane and flooding response and mitigation.

Issues as simple as whether or not FEMA should cover the costs of removing standing burned trees or replacing water systems, like the one in Fountaingrove that was contaminated as a result of the October fires, are not so simple.

My amendment provides FEMA with the capability and authority to mitigate these issues by explicitly stating that FEMA hazard mitigation funding can be used to remove standing, burned trees and replacing water systems damaged and/or contaminated by wildfires.

I appreciate House leadership working with my office to include this amendment in the en bloc so that we advance this issue and I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that my district's fire recovery needs are being met.

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