Floodplain Management Policy as Applicable to HUD's Implementation of Executive Orders 11988 and 11990

摘要

Presidential Executive Orders 11988 and 11990, as of May 1977, aim to help save lives and reduce ever increasing flood losses and disaster assistance. In an average year, flooding causes more than $1 billion in property damage throughout the United States. HUD estimates that 5 to 10 percent of HUD program users are located in flood hazard areas, and a few communities are almost totally located in such areas. HUD's policy (since August 1979) is not to automatically deny assistance for properties or projects located in flood hazard areas but to reject proposals only if a practicable alternative exists, namely that flood - free properties or locations are available in the community or its housing areas. Flood - prone sites add to housing costs and benefits by increasingng the cost of and time for processing applications; increasing site preparation and construction costs for floodproofing; raising the cost of flood insurance premiums and increasing maintenance costs; and increasing the costs to taxpayers for public flood control, emergency disaster relief, flood insurance subsidies, and the funding for acquisition and relocation of flood - prone structures to flood - free locations. Federal policies, including HUD policies affecting floodplains and wetlands, have been contradictory and self - defeating. In September 1981, HUD requested the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief to consider certain revisions to national policy set forth in the Orders, including authority for permitting economical processing through one - time, areawide compliance procedures; authority for granting justifiable exemptions; and authority for permitting reasonable national floodplain management standards and definitions, albeit less restrictive and more flexible than those mandated by the National Flood Insurance Program for localities. Documentation is appended. (Author abstract modified).