Input Needed: FEMA Releases Draft Rule on New Federal Flood Standard
ASCE is gathering input from its members on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) draft rule which amends how the agency manages investments in the floodplain The rule is in response to Executive Order 13690, which established the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). FEMA is the first agency to release a rule under the updated Executive Order. The FFRMS requires agencies to design using climate science, freeboard or the 500-year flood plain when investing in new or substantially retrofitted infrastructure.
In January 2015, President Obama issued Executive Order 13690, updating federal standards for flood risk and floodplain management for the first time in nearly 40 years. These changes were called for in the President's Climate Action Plan, the Sandy Task Force Rebuilding Strategy, and Recommendations of the President's State, Local, and Tribal Task Force for Climate Preparedness. The comment period is open until 10/21/2016). ASCE will be submitting comments based, in part, on ASCE Standard 24-14. If you would like to contribute to ASCE’s comments, please contact Whit Remer.
------------------------------
Whitford Remer Aff.M.ASCE
Senior Manager, Federal Government Relations
American Society of Civil Engineers
Washington DC
------------------------------