Cedar Rapids to Get $15.7M from FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $15.7 million to Cedar Rapids to pay for flood recovery work and demolition of the Sinclair meatpacking plant.

Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said FEMA obligates the funding to the state, which then reimburses the city for eligible expenses.

One of the grants is of $5.5 million for the demolition of 11 buildings on the city-owned Sinclair meatpacking plant site, which flooded and then burned. It is being removed as an immediate threat to public health and safety.

Another grant of $7.9 million is for removing 402 flooded buildings and structures in northwest Cedar Rapids, while a $2.3 million grant is to reimburse the city for emergency protective measures taken at the Water Pollution Control Facility after the flood.

Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazetteonline.com/