Senators support appeal for County disaster relief

CARIBOU – U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have sent letters to President Bush in support of Gov. John Baldacci’s appeal of the federal government’s denial of emergency assistance for expenses from a late March snowstorm in northern Maine.

Collins and Snowe wrote letters Friday saying that Aroostook County needs federal assistance to help offset the local costs of cleaning up from the blizzard that pummeled the region March 19-22 and left behind 33 inches of snow.

Baldacci initially submitted a request for emergency assistance in late March. It was denied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Baldacci filed an appeal of the denial Thursday.

Collins said she disagreed with the decision to deny Baldacci’s earlier request for financial assistance, and said she strongly supported the governor’s request for an appeal “to help the cities and towns in The County whose limited budgets are strained.”

“I understand that the denial of the original request was based on the fact that the snowfall during the four days of the event was not record-setting,” Collins wrote. “However, as noted in my prior letter, Aroostook County has experienced record snowfall over the course of the entire winter season, breaking a record established in 1955. Towns across Aroostook County, many with small populations, have been forced to shoulder severe economic burdens in an effort to manage the consequences of this record-setting snowfall.”

Quoting FEMA’s own snow assistance policy, Collins said a record-setting snowfall “for any one event is not a requirement for an emergency declaration,” she said. “When additional factors, including many of those currently challenging Aroostook County, are also present, disaster assistance is appropriate. The Governor’s appeal letter clearly establishes the presence of several of these additional factors.”

Snowe in her letter emphasized that local budgets are tight and local residents cannot shoulder the burden alone.

This year, close to 200 inches of snow has fallen in Caribou, according to the National Weather Service, burying the 181-inch record dating from 1955.

Collins had noted in an earlier letter supporting disaster relief that “this winter’s record snowfall has put an enormous financial burden on many local communities,” and that clearing roads had strained the limited budgets of our towns and cities

The storm that hit Aroostook County on March 19-22 hurt retailers. Retail sales were down that Easter weekend, which is usually busy.

Buildings have collapsed as a result of snow levels in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Littleton, Garfield and other communities. In Grand Isle, a train car belonging to Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway got stuck in the snow along a section of track.

School budgets and calendars also have been affected by closures.

A decision on the appeal is expected in the near future.

During a brief, unrelated appearance Friday in Bangor, Collins also called for better funding for veterans’ benefits.

While addressing the Disabled American Veterans state convention at the Four Points Sheraton, Collins said that federal funding for veterans’ health care should be guaranteed, eliciting applause from veterans in the room. She said she was the first Republican co-sponsor of the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, which would create a mandatory funding formula for veterans’ health care.

“This is the only way to end the yearly battle to get [the program] the funding it needs,” she said, eliciting more applause.

BDN writer Bill Trotter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.