U.S. Rejects Funding for Quake Cleanup

After extending an earthquake cleanup program three times, the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday rejected a request by the city of Los Angeles for another $15 million to phase out the program over the next year.

Federal officials indicated that they rejected the request because the entire program had already cost $233 million and that 18 months after the quake, the debris no longer constituted a health threat.

“Debris removal is an eligible cost for reimbursement only if it is necessary to eliminate immediate threats to life and public health and safety,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Patricia Stahlschmidt.

The previous extension ended Monday.

Since Jan. 17, 1994, the program has paid to haul 2.3 million tons of debris to local recycling centers and landfills.

The phaseout program proposed by the city would have paid for overtime salaries for officers and street inspectors to cite people who illegally dump on city streets. Violators of the city’s anti-dumping laws can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to a year in jail.

The program would also have publicized the end of the cleanup program and advertised legal options for disposing of quake debris. An incentive program was included, offering rebates of up to $300 to people who collect debris in special bins and haul them to a recycling center.

City officials have warned that property owners who now have quake debris on a city street or sidewalk must hire a private contractor to move it away or face a citation for illegal dumping.