Two Northern California congressmen say the Federal Emergency Management Agency might not pay its share of the $870 million price tag to replace the spillways at Lake Oroville.
Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa and Democrat Rep. John Garamendi issued a joint release this afternoon that says FEMA has informed Congress it’s uncertain whether it will pay some $650 million for repairs.
The release claims that FEMA determined there was a “lack of maintenance" on the spillway and may only pay for repairs that would return it to its condition before the main failure.
"It makes no sense for FEMA to reimburse the State of California for work to bring the Oroville Dam back to the same design that caused the disaster," Garamendi wrote in a statement.
LaMalfa added that "we must proceed in a manner that ensures the safety of those impacted by the spillway incident and actually improves the spillway."
The Department of Water Resources has said it expects FEMA to cover 75 percent of the cost. State water contractors would pay the rest.
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