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Press Releases

Date: 9/20/2005

Contact: Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037

UPDATE: TASK FORCE PELICAN

Tuesday - September 20, 2005
- 10:00 am -

This is Day 21st since Hurricane Katrina hit.

§ Regarding Hurricane Rita, Governor Kathleen Blanco said yesterday:

o "Mayor Nagin's decision today to suspend the re-entry of residents into New Orleans is a wise decision in light of the possible complications that Rita may cause. The mayor very wisely has decided that citizens should not be returning to New Orleans at a time when federal, state and local assets might be needed to prepare and respond to another hurricane."

· To date, there are more than 19,000 National Guard (NG) soldiers on the ground under the command of Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.

o Nearly 4,600 Louisiana Army and Air National Guard soldiers are positioned throughout the state

o Nearly 15,000 other National Guard soldiers from states all over the country are positioned throughout Louisiana

· NG primary missions continue to be: saving lives (including providing meals, water, and ice to personnel), enforcing security, evacuating residents, and supporting existing critical infrastructures

Department of Health & Hospitals

. An updated number of fatalities has been announced at 736.

- This number will be updated as often as possible when deaths are determined to be storm-related.

Department of Labor

The Louisiana Department of Labor (DOL) has re-opened the East St. Tammany
Workforce Office in a temporary location:

Slidell City Auditorium

444 Erlanger St. in Old Town Slidell

Slidell, L A

The preliminary number of Unemployment Insurance claims has been revised
142,255 claims had been processed as of Sept. 16
Of those claims, 129,144 of these are eligible to receive either U.I. or Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

· DOL has established a new toll-free phone number for evacuees to call to report a change of address: 1-800-430-8076

Individuals who had filed for UI and Disasters assistance post-Katrina, but have since moved to a new address.
Or those who filed using a New Orleans-area address pre-Katrina and now need their mail sent to another address are encouraged to call

Department of Social Services

· Shelters which are housing more than 25 displaced citizens and not currently registered with the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness should call (866) 310-7617 or in Baton Rouge, 925-1938.

· From Sept. 2 - 19, the Office of Family Support has certified more than 298,000 households (with an average of 3 family members per HH) for total Disaster Food Stamp benefits of more than $ 108.6 million.

· Plaquemines Parish residents can file applications for benefits at temporary office.

o Applications will be taken at this location through 5 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22.

o Belle Chasse Primary School

539 Edward Hebert Boulevard

Belle Chasse, LA

· Jefferson Parish- West Bank Residents can file applications for benefits at temporary office.

o Applications will be taken at this location beginning Thursday, September 22 and continue through Wednesday, September 28, 2005

o West Bank Mobile Site

14A Westside North

Gretna, LA

· St. Tammany Parish residents are eligible to apply for benefits through 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Department of Environmental Quality

DEQ and EPA continue to take water-quality samples at 22 sites at in and around Lake Pontchartrain.
There are sites along the causeway and along the north and south shores of the Lake. A good sign of the health of the lake is the numbers of crabs noted in crab traps that have been checked. The crews are seeing fish also.

· The Hawk flew over the impacted area today.

Was able to identify numbers on railcars. This will facilitate location of cars with hazardous materials.

Summary of sediment results based on preliminary data
Metals - not an acute human health concern; Maximum concentrations of arsenic, chromium, iron and lead exceeded the risk-based standards for daily exposure over 30 years.

· Summary of flood water testing based on preliminary data

Considering the assumption that flood waters are not a drinking water source and exposure would be primarily through dermal and incidental ingestion, the data do not indicate an acute health risk to chemical contaminants in flood waters

DEQ Air sampling from monitors in the area.
Kenner Site
§ The criteria pollutants Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Sulfur Dioxide are all reading below the NAAQS, with ozone levels in or below the moderate or code yellow range.

· The continuous PM2.5 sampler (not FRM) measured a maximum of 43 ug/ m3, which is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or code orange.

· Hydrogen Sulfide is reading well below the standard.

Garyville and Hahnville Sites
The readings for the pollutant ozone were in or below the moderate or code yellow range.

Department of Transportation & Development

· Interstate Update

Three contractors hired by DOTD have swept all of I-610, as well as the portions of I-10 that were accessible Friday, Sept. 16.
DOTD has retained a contractor to repair the pumps near I-10 at Mounds Underpass, but Entergy has not yet restored power to the facility.
I-10 East Bank and West Bank near Bayou Sauvage are still under water.
There are still trees down on I-10 West Bank between Lake Pontchartrain and I-510.

· Ferry Update

Normal ferry operations have been resumed at the Plaquemine/Sunshine, New Roads/St. Francisville, and Reserve/Edgard locations.
The two ferries damaged by the storm will be re-floated and sent to a shipyard for repair this week. DOTD anticipates the repairs to be finalized by late October.
Department of Transportation & Development (contd)

· Port Update

The Port of New Orleans' upriver facilities, where about 70 percent of the port's activities are conducted, fared well in the storm.
Port Fourchon is operating at 80 percent capacity. DOTD expects the port to operate at 90 percent capacity after FEMA clears the debris clearance USGS removes the vessels.

DOTD has completed 70 % of the initial sign straightening and reinstallation needed on routes in Jefferson and St. Charles Parishes.

DOTD has repaired or replaced 95 % of damaged signs in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes.
DOTD is currently preparing contracts to handle damaged trusses and Interstate guide signs.

· Repair work on railroad tracks is progressing. All routes of the CN, BNSF and UP rail lines are usable.

· Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region VI officials will tour New Orleans on Sept. 20 to assess damages to transit property.

· RTA/FEMA/FTA/DOTD officials are preparing a plan for rebuilding New Orleans and restructuring Baton Rouge.

After the Plan is finalized and approved, DOTD will request funding from FEMA/Public Assistance.

· FHWA and DOTD preliminary estimate for Federal-aid highways and bridges (including the"twin spans" temporary repair) is $1.5 billion. There may be a delay of 2-3 months before funding is set up by FHWA, as Congress must approve a funding package before FHWA can begin setting up the reimbursement mechanism.

· The estimate on repairs to state highways and bridges not in the Federal-Aid system has not been completed.

These repairs will be funded by FEMA.
FEMA reimbursement for permanent repairs to roads and bridges is matched at 75 percent FEMA and 25 percent DOTD.
DOTD has directed a letter to the Congressional Delegation recommending that FEMA accelerate the reimbursement process.
Florida DOT is owed $77M from FEMA for Hurricane Ivan and has only collected $720,000.

· Of the 1,100 affected DOTD employees, 163 have not been accounted for.

DOTD's Human Resources Office has distributed fliers to major in-state and out-of-state Red Cross shelters to inform DOTD evacuees of its toll-free number, (866) 783-5493.

· DOTD's customer service center has answered more than 5,600 calls from the public since Aug. 31.

Department of Education

Approximately 37,000 displaced students have enrolled in Louisiana schools to date, and more than 200 displaced teachers have been hired in state.

The Department of Education Call Center has taken 12,800 calls since Hurricane Katrina.

The Department of Education Web Site has had 235,700 hits since Hurricane Katrina.

4, 688 teachers/employees have registered on www.teachlouisiana.com to register with their school districts and/or apply for available jobs.

Washington Parish schools opened, Monday, September 19, 2005.

St. Tammany & Jefferson Parishes and the City of Bogalusa are planning to open by October 3rd.

Plaquemines Parish schools will open in January.

Orleans & St. Bernard Parish schools do not have a timeline for re-opening schools

Board of Regents

To help college students displaced by Katrina continue their education, the Southern Regional Education Board, in conjunction with the Sloan Foundation, has announced the creation of the Sloan Semester, a catalog of free electronic courses available to Katrina-displaced students.
The catalog is now open. Students may visit the web site to search for available courses, participating colleges and universities and to start the enrollment process.
The address is http://www.sloansemester.org.

· The Southeast Louisiana Business Center has activated a disaster assistance response plan designed to aid area individuals and firms needing temporary business services or assistance in completing applications for business disaster loans. \

The free workshops will be conducted over the next several weeks throughout the north shore area.
Admittance is on a first come, first served basis.
For more information or to register, contact the business center at 985-549-3831 or by e-mail to sbdc@selu.edu.

As of Friday, 9/16, the total number of displaced college students re-enrolled at other Louisiana public college and university campuses across the state is 8,629

Board of Regents information hotline for displaced students:
1-866-415-2269 or visit www.regents.state.la.us
· The Louisiana Community and Technical College System has established a new toll-free student information line (1-866-310-1586).

Department of Corrections

DOC's key mission remains the safety and stability of state and parish correctional facilities given the considerable numbers of evacuated inmates now being sheltered.

State facilities are housing 3,666 additional inmates.
Parish facilities are housing 2,479 additional inmates.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is assisting also, housing 920 inmates at a federal facility in Coleman, Florida.

· Correctional officers and support staff have been working considerably long hours to ensure that the Department's goal of public safety is carried out.

· The Department continues to receive and inventory donated items from various correctional agencies and organizations throughout the country. Some states and organizations have given cash to assist displaced DOC employees. Donated items are being offered to shelters across Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, to DOC employees affected by Hurricane Katrina, and also to evacuated inmates in our institutions.

· 10 states, the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons all have donated truckloads of relief items.

· Donated items include water, assorted clothing, assorted baby items (including diapers), cleaning supplies, generators, personal hygiene items, non-perishable food, mattresses, cots, blankets and pillows.

· DOC has supplied more than 30 church and other shelters with these supplies.

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