Liability Issue Blamed in Slow Response to Flood

Response to the broken delta levee that flooded 12,000 acres of farmland in June was delayed because of confusion over who should foot the bill, San Joaquin County officials told legislators.

Local, state and federal agencies are still unclear about who has legal liability and who should pay the $40 million to $60 million it will cost to repair the damage, the officials said. They pointed out that the state doesn’t let the issue of money hold up fighting a fire, and said the same should be true when dealing with a flood.