U.S. Labor pumps $2.7M to help La. recovery efforts

The U.S. Department gave Louisiana’s Hurricane Gustav cleanup and recovery effort a $2.769 million boost.

The agency announced Monday it is giving the state the National Emergency Grant to continue rebuilding the region.

“This grant will provide additional funding to employ impacted workers in the ongoing cleanup and rebuilding efforts that followed the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season,” Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a news release. “Louisiana is still in the process of recovering from Gustav, and I am pleased that our department can continue offering this support.”

A second increment of the grant is being awarded to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Officials said funds will be used to create more temporary jobs to assist in the recovery efforts as a result of the devastation caused by the hurricane. In addition, the money will provide workforce development services for many of the participants after the temporary jobs end in order to help them in obtaining permanent employment, the release said.

In September 2008, the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared all 64 parishes in Louisiana eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. A grant exceeding $22.2 million was awarded to the state on Sept. 9, 2008. Of that, $7.4 million was released initially to create up to 4,000 temporary jobs for eligible dislocated workers to help in the cleanup and recovery efforts.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor’s discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state’s ability to meet specific guidelines, according to the agency.