Costs Of Wisconsin River Debris Cleanup From Lake Delton Set
FEMA Will Cover 75 Percent Of Costs
Updated: 4:29 pm CDT August 2, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- When homes and debris from the Lake Delton disaster washed into the Wisconsin River, all that debris had to go somewhere.
VIDEO: Watch The Report"We got out on the river right away and started taking pictures," said David Woodbury of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.Since the disaster, the DNR has identified 89 sites, over a 24-mile span, that need to be cleaned up.What's unique is the how the costs will be split up. None of the debris is in the Village of Lake Delton -- it's all spread out through Columbia and Sauk counties. So who's responsible for paying?The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75 percent of the costs, Wisconsin Emergency Management will pay 12.5 percent the remaining balance will split equally between Sauk County, Columbia County, and the DNR. Now, Lake Delton will contribute; the village was added to the list Thursday, WISC-TV reported."We had heard rumblings about the counties talking about the village," Woodbury said. "Because, primarily, a lot of the material did come from Lake Delton.""There was a significant amount of debris that came from that area, and they should be a contributor into this," Sauk County emergency management director Jeff Jalinek said. "A couple weeks ago, I sent out an official request to the village requesting that they be a contributor."After board discussions, trustee Tom Diehl said that the Village of Lake Delton would share the cost of cleanup. Cost aside -- leaders like Jalinek said they're happy the process is almost complete."This has been going on for quite a long time and talking and talking," Jalinek said. "And now, we're finally to the point where we're about ready to award a contract and we'll get that river cleaned up. It'll be nice."Bids are due next week and a contract will be awarded next Friday. Officials hope to have the river fully cleaned up by the end of September but the contractor, however, will have until Oct. 31.Project leaders said the bidding contractors agreed that the project not exceed $500,000. Assuming the worst case scenario at $500,000, each contributor -- Columbia County, Sauk County, the DNR, and Lake Delton -- would have to pay roughly $16,000.
VIDEO: Watch The Report"We got out on the river right away and started taking pictures," said David Woodbury of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.Since the disaster, the DNR has identified 89 sites, over a 24-mile span, that need to be cleaned up.What's unique is the how the costs will be split up. None of the debris is in the Village of Lake Delton -- it's all spread out through Columbia and Sauk counties. So who's responsible for paying?The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75 percent of the costs, Wisconsin Emergency Management will pay 12.5 percent the remaining balance will split equally between Sauk County, Columbia County, and the DNR. Now, Lake Delton will contribute; the village was added to the list Thursday, WISC-TV reported."We had heard rumblings about the counties talking about the village," Woodbury said. "Because, primarily, a lot of the material did come from Lake Delton.""There was a significant amount of debris that came from that area, and they should be a contributor into this," Sauk County emergency management director Jeff Jalinek said. "A couple weeks ago, I sent out an official request to the village requesting that they be a contributor."After board discussions, trustee Tom Diehl said that the Village of Lake Delton would share the cost of cleanup. Cost aside -- leaders like Jalinek said they're happy the process is almost complete."This has been going on for quite a long time and talking and talking," Jalinek said. "And now, we're finally to the point where we're about ready to award a contract and we'll get that river cleaned up. It'll be nice."Bids are due next week and a contract will be awarded next Friday. Officials hope to have the river fully cleaned up by the end of September but the contractor, however, will have until Oct. 31.Project leaders said the bidding contractors agreed that the project not exceed $500,000. Assuming the worst case scenario at $500,000, each contributor -- Columbia County, Sauk County, the DNR, and Lake Delton -- would have to pay roughly $16,000.
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