LUFKIN, Texas (AP) — More than $245,000 has been set aside for reimbursement of local governments in Texas for costs involved in helping recover debris from space shuttle Columbia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday.
The space shuttle disintegrated over Texas on Feb. 1, killing the seven astronauts aboard. Searchers have been recovering debris over a wide area of East Texas and as far west as Littlefield, 45 miles northeast of Lubbock.
Under President Bush’s emergency declaration, state agencies, local governments and Indian tribes or tribal organizations were made eligible for reimbursement for all eligible emergency measures and debris removal expenses.
Among items eligible for reimbursement are search operations, securing of potential debris sites and activation of emergency operations centers.