'Dangerous': Austin leaders urge reinstatement of federal flood grant

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After devastating flash floods hit Central Texas, some Austin City Council members are urging the federal government to reinstate a grant — previously awarded and then taken away — that would have protected Austin infrastructure from floods.

In Austin, that $50 million federal grant was earmarked for the Fallwell Lane Capital Renewal Project, which would have made the South Austin Regional (SAR) Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Austin Energy Sand Hill Energy Center (SHEC) more resilient to floods.

Both facilities, right next to each other, border the Colorado River, which has flooded in the past.

"FEMA’s April cancellation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program — which stripped Austin of $50 million in pre-approved flood mitigation investments — was not just disappointing, it was dangerous," a letter from Austin leaders to FEMA and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Austin City Council Members Zo Qadri, Chito Vela, Krista Laine, Mike Siegel, Marc Duchen and Ryan Alter signed that letter, according to the Austin City Council message board. The final letter was not posted and may have additional names on it.

While on the ground in Texas, Noem addressed cuts to FEMA, an agency President Donald Trump has indicated he wants to phase out.

"We're cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA, streamlining it, much like your vision of how FEMA should operate, and it's been a much better response," Noem said.

KXAN has reached out to FEMA regarding this specific letter from Austin leaders and the grant reinstatement request and will update this story if we hear back.

We have previously reported that the city of Austin estimates a single catastrophic flood at these two infrastructure facilities could cause an estimated $1.6 billion in losses and impact operations at both plants.

The city has said the wastewater treatment plan represents half the wastewater treatment plant capacity for the city, and the energy center represents 24% of the base load power capacity.

"Southeast Austin’s Onion Creek watershed saw major overflows in 2013 and 2015, submerging Fallwell Lane under three feet of water and damaging critical infrastructure, including the Austin Energy raw water intake structure," the letter said. "Just adjacent sit the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Sand Hill Energy Center –– together, they represent over one-third of Austin’s base power and water capacity. One more storm could take all of it offline."