FEMA To Melt Ice Stored Since Katrina

Feds Paid $12.5 Million To Keep Unused Ice Since 2005 Hurricane Relief Effort

(AP)  After nearly two years, thousands of truck miles and $12.5 million in storage costs, a cold relic of the flawed Hurricane Katrina relief effort is going down the drain.

The federal government is getting rid of thousands of pounds of ice it had sent south to help Katrina victims, then north when it determined much of the ice wasn't needed.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had been hanging on to the ice in case it was needed for another disaster, but decided to get rid of it because it couldn't determine whether it was still safe for human consumption.

"We just didn't take any chances," FEMA spokeswoman Alexandra Kirin told the Gloucester Daily Times.

The ice, held at AmeriCold Logistics in Gloucester and at 22 similar facilities nationwide, is being melted. The cost of storing the ice at all the facilities since Katrina is $12.5 million.

The Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged after the August 2005 hurricane that it had ordered too much ice because of faulty estimates by local officials. Truckers received up to $900 a day to move the ice to storage sites around the country.

Gloucester received 118 truckloads of ice that September, but 99 of those were sent to Florida in October 2005 to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Wilma. By November 2005, only four truckloads, weighing between 40,000 and 84,000 pounds each, remained in Gloucester.

FEMA contracts required disposal of the ice three months after purchase, but Kirin said the agency decided to keep the excess ice for the 2006 hurricane season. With fewer storms than expected, the ice was not needed, and the agency decided not to save the ice for the 2007 season.

She added that FEMA tried to donate the ice, but "had no takers."

[hypnotoad72]

Melt it in areas lacking water or being burned in fire right now.

Pity it can't be saved.

[slim1h2o]

Some more gov't money wasted. When will it end?
What else is these bumbling buffoons going to waste? Trailers, money, and now ice. Why didn't they give it away? 12 mil. to store ice, then dump it. Idiots!!!!!!!

[twoell76]

How does commercially stored ice become "unfit for human consumption?"

[jt_lancer]

Your tax dollars at work. FEMA is yet another example of the amazing efficiency and streamlined effectiveness that the federal government agencies employ.

[cantshutup]

that would be the most sensible thing to do HYPNOTOAD...course, it seems like no one in FEMA or our government has any sense...so of course it's all wasted...what a bunch of incompetent f*cktards...

i'll bet they wish they had some ice out west!

[likeitis5050]

What a crock. Ice, in the summer, determined not useful for any purpose and already indebted for 12 million? Ice can be used. These people are supposed to be resourceful stewards of our money. But they now plan to just let it melt. Get rid of them. FEMA is nothing but a bunch of inbred country bumpkins who are in over their heads. Typical government intervention...which this Administration was supposed to be thinning out. We have more government noses in our business now than ever before. And they can't walk and chew gum at the same time so what good are they?

[ladybugsz]

Hey......I will take some here, cover my lawn with it, we're short of rain here and my grass and plants are starving for water!!! It will save me money on my water bill!! Ship it up here to Minnesota..I need it, want it and hey..it's already paid for right?

[omega39-2009]

Why not use it to ice down the beer kegs for the "Iraq victory party" that Republicans allocated $20 million to last year?

[shanev137]

Republicans love FEMA.

[michellem99-2009]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM PEOPLE. THAT ICE IS VERY USEFUL IN AREAS CRYING FOR IT. WE ARE TAUGHT TO NOT WASTE. SO WE HAVE HEAT WAVES PUT IT TO USE. WE NEED NEW PEOPLE RUNNING THIS NATION.

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

Only in the Government!

[keithle1]

FEMA...what a joke. "Emergency Management." They couldn't even manage a teddy bear tea party. What makes anyone think that if a big hurricane like Katrina hit New Orleans again things would be a whole lot better? Made us the laughing stock of the world. The Coast Guard came out of Katrina looking good but then they have lots of experience & know what they're doing.

[olebd]

I agree, give it where needed. Or there's plenty of state park campgrounds...sell it to campers.

[atbeach]

We Are In The Middle Of HURRICAN SEASON!!!!!
It's lasted for 2 years...I guess it makes NO sense to keep for 3 more months and make sure we don't have another Katrina!!!!!

[rushlimpdrug]

You're doing one heck of a job bush, chainme, and karly rove.
compassionate conservative works in so many ways.
New Orleeens is now the shining star of FEMA and the republican party machine.
thanks guys
gotta go - my tea is getting warm

[starleo146]

Does anyone know how much of our money is allocated to homeland security. they are blowing money as if it was a shining box of chocalates.I wonder if there is any audit of this dept. I have asked my representatives but no answer.I guess because they are rubber stamps for Bush.

[cantshutup]

The American PEOPLE need to go in mass to washington and pull all the f*cktards out of their ivory towers and have massive public floggings and several public hangings...this sh*t is not going to stop until we actually DO something...all this blogging gets us where? p*ssed and frustrated that's all...Can we figure out a way for a massive march on washington to clean out the pigs?????

[lostcountry1]

another example of how this administration works. everybody working with them makes money, no one actually gets help.bush and friends only do things that makes money for them.then they throw everything away.nothing intelligent comes from this administration.

[lwhiway]

Any bets on how long it takes them to figure out how to melt it?

[lostcountry1]

cantshutup, i agree with you. we look for something useful to come from all of this posting, but are at a loss for a way to make change. they say violence is no answer,but that is usually what it takes to change a corrupt regime, such as the one now running america. you can bet they have people monitoring these sites so as to protect themselves from any possible harm.what is sad is the people that agree with needing change are already aware. how do we get the word out to the ones who need to know the truth?i was thinking we should start a movement where we all send pretzels to g.w. with a note that says "choke on this".how do you get something like that to catch on?

[stevenga777]

I have 14 1/2 acres. If they truck the ice to me I'll melt it for only 3.5 million dollars. If I complete melting the ice in 6 months I'd like an additional 1.2 million dollar bonus.

[lostcountry1]

they are only melting the ice so they can order more when the next disaster hits. how else do you pay back your friends for their political contributions?

[Hybdiesel]

Let the president talk to it. Would melt quite quickly. Or let the vice president go hunting down there he could crush it with his shotgun.

[moonshadow22]

This decision makes absolutely no sense. Ok, granted the ice may not be pure drinking water or fit for human consumption, but it still would help out in emergency situations. It seems alot simpler to stamp the bags "not drinking water" and pass it out anyway. It could save a family's food supply!!! It's alot better than having nothing at all.

Or here's a crazy idea: Why not have a portable ice making plant built onto a standard 18-wheeler trailer? An emergency hits anytime and you pull the "ice truck" into the area, hook it up to a tanker full of water, fire up the generator, turn it on and 24 hours later you are pumping out big batches of ice every 2 hours. I'd bet you could buy 2 or 3 trucks for that wasted $12 million!

[likeitis5050]

cantshutup I post here after I've posted on www.congress.org I make sure each of elected reps knows what's on my mind.

[barbaraf4]

I'm pretty sure someone from Haliburton will figure out a way to make money while melting ice.

Why is the Washington Mafia still in office?

[randalds]

I know the perfect place to shove the ice. All I need is someone to hold Bush and Cheney down while I "place it" where it really belongs!

[dontnoitall]

Why don't they send it to a drought area, throw it in a lake or pond and let it melt. No sense wasting good water when it is needed.

[michellem99-2009]

RandalDS...Randy...I went in to laughing at your post. I know you did not mean it funny. I have to laugh AT Bush and Company. Why do him a favour. It can be used as ice to drop on the wild fires here in the US of A. Don't waste it on them. Make them clean the dirty hospitals. I am 52.

[remmeler]

You would think that they would make that decision at the end of the 2007 Hurricane season now that it has just started. A delay of a few more months could save them time and money in the long run if a couple of bad hurricanes hit this year.

[randalds]

Posted by MichelleM99 at 07:45 PM : Jul 15, 2007

Actually I was only half joking. If I honestly thought I could get away with it I would gladly shove as much of the ice as I could up Bush and Cheney's as*ses, without hesitation.

[michellem99-2009]

I know you were. We could use that ice as we have burn bans as the earth is too dry. Send them over to fight the war they stated over seas. I would make them live dirt poor,haha.

[missingamerica]

Typical. Didn't need to "eat" the ice, but we still could have used it for the national kegger America is going to have on January 20th, 2008.

[hungry1968]

Heckuva job Brownie!!

[nyteryder2]

Send it to SoCal! We could use it to water our lawns & gardens. LOL!!! We only had a couple inches of rain this winter and it won't rain again until Nov-Dec.

What a wasteful government we have!!

[mopheadad]

Typical, democrats could'nt spend the ice, so they did'nt need it, they only wanted cash. Does anyone watch cnn?

[gabbysmomrs]

I'm with Remmeler (is that right?) I live in FL and we're most likely going to need that ice during this hurricane season, what a dumb move, but typical. What harm to keep it stored till the end of hurricane season. That, or bottle the water retrieved from the melt so it is available for another emergency. You don't need refrigerated trucks for that.

[kennergirl]

Go drop it on those wildfires that seem to be sprouting up all the place. At least it would be used for something.

[zootallures2]

Make Chertoff and Israel pay for it!

[grammawhamma]

OMG...I can't believe Gore didn't buy it to send to the artic areas to keep the glaciers from melting!!

[bobnjersey]

finally something the federal govt can actually do ... melt ice ... or can they?

[coffeehead-2009]

hurricane season JUST started??

Forget "human consupmtion", most of the ice we need is to replace refrigeration.... keeping consumable items cold. More waste from this admin.... As far as the cost of them moving it?
Well since those cruise ships we paid millions for returned to florida empty, couldn't we have gotten a free ride for some of those trailers in return for our "cold" cash?
I'm thinking those who run these programs are WAY OVERQUALIFIED - maybe just some of us normal peons could save a few bucks with our experience of having to be "thrifty" with our own $$$ --
whoops it IS our own $$$

[berniepeders]

Moonshadow22-

Are you crazy? Your suggestions make perfect sense, and I applaud them, but for such an efficient, common sense solution to succeed with our ridiculous , inefficient government is absolutely impossible. Who would make money on such a simple plan? Certainly not those fat cats in DC? But keep those good ideas coming.

[berniepeders]

I thnk that it doesn't really matter which party is in power, once politicians get to the Federal level, money is an abstract concept to them, and waste will occur on a large scale no matter what. It's not a Republican vs Democrat thing, it's all those billions of unspent dollars sitting there, and they have the checkbook.

[brianbwb-2009]

I wonder who owns the refrigeration units, and got 12 big ones from Fema, Anyone else out there think it was someone Brownie and/or Georgie knew personally?...

[grammawhamma]

finally something the federal govt can actually do ... melt ice ... or can they?
Posted by bobnjersey at 07:38 AM : Jul 16, 2007

LOL