4 D I SAS T E R R E COV E RY T ODAY. COM D I S A S T E R R E C O V E R Y T O D A Y 1) The structure must have been damaged as a direct result of the disaster; 2) The applicant must show that the structure is an immediate threat to the public; 3) The applicant must have the legal authority to act under law, code or ordinance. Page 38 of the FEMA 325 Public Assistance Debris Management Guide, July 2007, further delineates some of the costs associated with the demolition of private property structures that are eligible for FEMA assistance, as well as some of the costs that are not. Eligible costs include: • Capping wells; • Pumping and capping septic tanks; • Filling in basements and swimming pools; • Testing and removing hazardous materials from unsafe structures, including asbestos and household hazardous wastes; • Securing utilities (electric, phone, water, sewer, etc.); • Securing permits, licenses and title searches (fees for permits, licenses and titles issued directly by the applicant are not eligible unless it can be demonstrated that the fees are above and beyond administrative costs); • Demolition of disaster-damaged outbuildings such as garages, sheds and workshops determined to be unsafe. Ineligible costs include: • Removal of slabs or foundations, except in very unusual circumstances, such as when disasterrelated erosion under slabs on a hillside causes an immediate public health and safety threat; • Removal of pads and driveways. Structures condemned as safety hazards before the disaster are not eligible for demolition and debris removal under Public Assistance grant authority. The following issues might be encountered by an applicant during the private property demolition process: • After a disaster, it can be very difficult to contact property owners. However, the owners must be contacted so that a signed Right of Entry Form can be obtained. Recommended ways of contacting property owners include registered mail, publishing notices in local papers and posting notices on the structure itself. It is important to document all attempts to contact the property owners. An individual file “Structures condemned as safety hazards before the disaster are not eligible for demolition and debris removal under Public Assistance grant authority.”
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