BATON ROUGE, La. -- FEMA has urged a federal arbitration panel to reject claims that the state is owed $492 million for hurricane damages to LSU's Charity Hospital in New Orleans.
It's the latest development in a fight over funds that are key to LSU's finance plans for construction of a new $1.2 billion academic medical center.
The state dropped a FEMA appeal and decided to go the arbitration route to expedite a decision in a long-standing dispute that stems from 2005 Hurricane Katrina damages that shuttered the hospital.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency argues that only $126 million is owed.
LSU officials say there will be a pre-hearing conference to determine the next step within the next 10 days.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
bb43ca said on November 4, 2009 at 3:11 PM
The panel should reject it. Within 1 week after Hurricane Katrina the US Army had the hospital cleaned up and ready to go. LSU wants a new hospital at the federal government's expense to which of course is our expense. Within 1 week, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston after Hurricane Ike was cleaned and open for business. They have a hospital for the community to use. The people need to take this issue up with LSU and demand to know why they are playing politics with everyone's life in NOLA. UNSAT!!