§ 206.226 - Restoration of damaged facilities.

§ 206.226 Restoration of damaged facilities.

Work to restore eligible facilities on the basis of the design of such facilities as they existed immediately prior to the disaster and in conformity with the following is eligible:

(a) Assistance under other Federal agency (OFA) programs.

(1) Generally, disaster assistance will not be made available under the Stafford Act when another Federal agency has specific authority to restore facilities damaged or destroyed by an event which is declared a major disaster.

(2) An exception to the policy described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section exists for public elementary and secondary school facilities which are otherwise eligible for assistance from the Department of Education (ED) under 20 U.S.C. 241-1 and 20 U.S.C. 646. Such facilities are also eligible for assistance from FEMA under the Stafford Act, and recipients shall accept applications from local educational agencies for assistance under the Stafford Act.

(3) The exception does not cover payment of increased current operating expenses or replacement of lost revenues as provided in 20 U.S.C. 241-1(a) and implemented by 34 CFR 219.14. Such assistance shall continue to be granted and administered by the Department of Education.

(b) Mitigation planning. In order to receive assistance under this section, the State or Indian Tribal government applying to FEMA as a recipient must have in place a FEMA approved State or Tribal Mitigation Plan, as applicable, in accordance with 44 CFR part 201.

(c) Private nonprofit facilities. Eligible private nonprofit facilities may receive funding under the following conditions:

(1) The facility provides critical services, which include power, water (including water provided by an irrigation organization or facility in accordance with § 206.221(e)(3)), sewer services, wastewater treatment, communications, emergency medical care, fire department services, emergency rescue, and nursing homes; or

(2) The private nonprofit organization not falling within the criteria of § 206.226(c)(1) has applied for a disaster loan under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.636(b)) and

(i) The Small Business Administration has declined the organization's application; or

(ii) Has eligible damages greater than the maximum amount of the loan for which it is eligible, in which case the excess damages are eligible for FEMA assistance.

(d) Standards. For the costs of Federal, State, and local repair or replacement standards which change the predisaster construction of facility to be eligible, the standards must:

(1) Apply to the type of repair or restoration required;

(Standards may be different for new construction and repair work)

(2) Be appropriate to the predisaster use of the facility;

(3)

(i) Be found reasonable, in writing, and formally adopted and implemented by the State or local government on or before the disaster declaration date or be a legal Federal requirement applicable to the type of restoration.

(ii) This paragraph (d) applies to local governments on January 1, 1999 and to States on January 1, 2000. Until the respective applicability dates, the standards must be in writing and formally adopted by the applicant prior to project approval or be a legal Federal or State requirement applicable to the type of restoration.

(4) Apply uniformly to all similar types of facilities within the jurisdiction of owner of the facility; and

(5) For any standard in effect at the time of a disaster, it must have been enforced during the time it was in effect.

(e) Hazard mitigation. In approving grant assistance for restoration of facilities, the Regional Administrator may require cost effective hazard mitigation measures not required by applicable standards. The cost of any requirements for hazard mitigation placed on restoration projects by FEMA will be an eligible cost for FEMA assistance.

(f) Repair vs. replacement.

(1) A facility is considered repairable when disaster damages do not exceed 50 percent of the cost of replacing a facility to its predisaster condition, and it is feasible to repair the facility so that it can perform the function for which it was being used as well as it did immediately prior to the disaster.

(2) If a damaged facility is not repairable in accordance with paragraph (f)(1) of this section, approved restorative work may include replacement of the facility. The applicant may elect to perform repairs to the facility, in lieu of replacement, if such work is in conformity with applicable standards. However, eligible costs shall be limited to the less expensive of repairs or replacement.

(3) An exception to the limitation in paragraph (d)(2) of this section may be allowed for facilities eligible for or on the National Register of Historic Properties. If an applicable standard requires repair in a certain manner, costs associated with that standard will be eligible.

(g) Relocation.

(1) The Regional Administrator may approve funding for and require restoration of a destroyed facility at a new location when:

(i) The facility is and will be subject to repetitive heavy damage;

(ii) The approval is not barred by other provisions of title 44 CFR; and

(iii) The overall project, including all costs, is cost effective.

(2) When relocation is required by the Regional Administrator, eligible work includes land acquisition and ancillary facilities such as roads and utilities, in addition to work normally eligible as part of a facility reconstruction. Demolition and removal of the old facility is also an eligible cost.

(3) When relocation is required by the Regional Administrator, no future funding for repair or replacement of a facility at the original site will be approved, except those facilities which facilitate an open space use in accordance with 44 CFR part 9.

(4) When relocation is required by the Regional Administrator, and, instead of relocation, the applicant requests approval of an alternate project [see § 206.203(d)(2)], eligible costs will be limited to 90 percent of the estimate of restoration at the original location excluding hazard mitigation measures.

(5) If relocation of a facility is not feasible or cost effective, the Regional Administrator shall disapprove Federal funding for the original location when he/she determines in accordance with 44 CFR parts 9, 10, 201, or subpart M of this part 206, that restoration in the original location is not allowed. In such cases, an alternative project may be applied for.

(h) Equipment and furnishings. If equipment and furnishings are damaged beyond repair, comparable items are eligible as replacement items.

(i) Library books and publications. Replacement of library books and publications is based on an inventory of the quantities of various categories of books or publications damaged or destroyed. Cataloging and other work incidental to replacement are eligible.

(j) Beaches.

(1) Replacement of sand on an unimproved natural beach is not eligible.

(2) Improved beaches. Work on an improved beach may be eligible under the following conditions:

(i) The beach was constructed by the placement of sand (of proper grain size) to a designed elevation, width, and slope; and

(ii) A maintenance program involving periodic renourishment of sand must have been established and adhered to by the applicant.

(k) Restrictions -

(1) Alternative use facilities. If a facility was being used for purposes other than those for which it was designed, restoration will only be eligible to the extent necessary to restore the immediate predisaster alternate purpose.

(2) Inactive facilities. Facilities that were not in active use at the time of the disaster are not eligible except in those instances where the facilities were only temporarily inoperative for repairs or remodeling, or where active use by the applicant was firmly established in an approved budget or the owner can demonstrate to FEMA's satisfaction an intent to begin use within a reasonable time.

[55 FR 2307, Jan. 23, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 55022, Oct. 25, 1993; 63 FR 5897, Feb. 5, 1998; 66 FR 22445, May 4, 2001; 67 FR 8854, Feb. 26, 2002; 68 FR 61371, Oct. 28, 2003; 69 FR 55097, Sept. 13, 2004; 74 FR 15350, Apr. 3, 2009; 74 FR 47482, Sept. 16, 2009; 82 FR 44, Jan. 3, 2017]