WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today praised the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision to fund debris and silt removal from the Blomquist Canal in St. Bernard Parish. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced this funding today, as a follow-up to her trip to New Orleans last week with Sen. Landrieu and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. Sen. Landrieu arranged for Secretary Napolitano to meet with St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro in Chalmette, and President Taffaro said that canal debris removal was one of his top-10 recovery project priorities.

"FEMA's decision to fund canal debris removal in St. Bernard Parish demonstrates Secretary Napolitano's commitment to reexamining outstanding recovery issues and moving quickly toward their resolution," Sen. Landrieu said. "She has also shown a willingness to listen to the needs of local Gulf Coast leaders on the ground, who have the best knowledge of their own recovery needs. I hope that Secretary Napolitano and FEMA will continue taking new and innovative approaches to moving our region's recovery forward.

"I will continue to support debris removal projects, ensuring Louisiana achieves pre-Katrina and Rita drainage conditions." Hurricanes Katrina and Rita clogged canals across Louisiana with debris and sediment, and many, including the Blomquist Canal in St. Bernard Parish, are still littered with wreckage. In this condition, the canals cannot perform their intended drainage function, which contributes to the likelihood of flooding. The Department of Homeland Security is also working with state and local governments on additional debris cleanup efforts across Louisiana.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues its marine debris removal efforts in Louisiana waterways through an Interagency Agreement with FEMA. The first three stages of debris removal were completed in July 2007 with the removal of more than 1,000 derelict vessels and 175,000 cubic yards of storm-related debris. Sen. Landrieu and other members of the Louisiana delegation asked for an extension of the Interagency Agreement in August 2007, which FEMA granted.

The Coast Guard is currently working on an additional $20 million FEMA-funded marine debris removal project. Having completed all surveys, the Coast Guard is now in the process of hiring contractors for the additional debris removal work. Additionally, the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently in the process of removing the remaining debris in the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District Canal System.