AG Jackson heads to Hillsborough pump station amid FEMA fight
SO YOU GET THE LATEST WEATHER
UPDATES ON YOUR PHONE FROM
WHEREVER YOU ARE. WE NEED THE
MONEY.
>> THAT WAS THE MESSAGE FROM
HILLSBOROUGH LEADERS DURING
A VISIT WITH NORTH CAROLINA
ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF JACKSON
TODAY.
>> THE STATE'S TOP PROSECUTOR
IS SUING FEMA OVER A CANCELED
GRANT PROGRAM AIMED AT HELPING
TOWNS BETTER PREPARE FOR
STORMS. WRAL'S WHEN SNYDER IS
LIVE AT HILLSBOROUGH IS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
FLYNN. THIS VISIT COMES A WEEK
AFTER THAT CRUCIAL PUMP WATER
STATION WAS FLOODED.
>> THAT FLOODING COMING DURING
A TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN REPORTING
THAT NOW CANCEL FUNDING WOULD
HAVE HELPED MOVE THAT FLOOD
STATION HERE AT THE WASTEWATER
PLANT OUT OF THE ITO RIVER
FLOOD WAY. THE SITE NOW
BECOMING A FOCAL POINT FOR THE
GROWING BATTLE OVER THIS GRANT
FUNDING.
>> WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE ARE
SUING FEMA. FOR THE 200 MILLION
DOLLARS THAT NORTH CAROLINA,
200 MILLION DOLLARS IN FEMA
GRANTS CANCELED.
>> NEARLY 6 MILLION OF THAT
FUNDING WAS SET TO HELP PAY FOR
THE RELOCATION OF THIS RIVER
PUMPING STATION OUT OF THE
FLOODWAY. SHAUN TELLS FLOODING
TOOK THE FACILITY OFF LINE
LEADING TO MILLIONS OF GALLONS
OF SEWAGE SPILLING INTO THE
RIVER.
>> AND CONCERNS ABOUT CLEAN
DRINKING WATER IN THE DAYS
AFTER.
>> NORTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY
GENERAL JEFF JACKSON TOWARD THE
REPAIRS NOW UNDERWAY.
>> THIS IS AS CLEAR AN EXAMPLE
AS POSSIBLE OF WHY THESE FUNDS
WE'RE WELL ALLOCATED AND
DESERVE TO GO.
>> WHERE THEY WERE PUSHED TO
GO. NEW NUMBERS RELEASED BY THE
TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH REVEAL
THOSE FEMA GRANTS WERE SET TO
PAY FOR ROUGHLY 70% OF THE
PROJECT'S 7.2 MILLION DOLLAR
CONSTRUCTION COST BEFORE THE
MONEY WAS CANCELED. THE AG
ALONG WITH 19 OTHER STATES ARE
SUING FEMA TO HAVE THE MONEY
RELEASED. JACKSON CALLED THE
ISSUE NON-PARTISAN AND BELIEVES
A HEARING IN THE CASE COULD
COME IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.
IT'S NOTHING WOKE ABOUT THIS
PUMP STATION
>> IT'S SOMETHING DR ABOUT THIS
PUMP STATION. NOTHING GREEN,
NEW DEAL, A BOUNCE. IT'S IN A
PLACE THAT FLIGHTS AND WE KNOW
THAT BECAUSE IT JUST FLOODED.
>> A SPOKESPERSON FOR FEMA
PREVIOUSLY TOLD WRAL THAT
RESILIENCY IS A PRIORITY FOR
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY. BUT THAT THE FUNDING
WAS NOT BEING SPENT WITH
INTEGRITY DURING THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION. ONE SIDE OF