Congressman Pleased With Flood Cleanup

COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) -- U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt is pleased so far with the cleanup effort at flood-ravaged Coffeyville, where a refinery oil spill coated entire<br/>neighborhoods in slimy crude

Friday, November 2nd 2007, 7:46 pm

By: News On 6

COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) -- U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt is pleased so far with the cleanup effort at flood-ravaged Coffeyville, where a refinery oil spill coated entire
neighborhoods in slimy crude oil.

Congressman Todd Tiahrt toured the site after receiving a complain from Coffeyville Mayor Virgil Horn about the slow pace of cleanup efforts. But once the tour was over, the Kansas congressman praised the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts.

Congressman Tiahrt wasn't so complimentary about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response, particularly the delays some families have had in getting checks from the agency months after the disaster.

The incident occurred when the Verdigris River topped its banks on June 30 and July 1 and flooded a third of Coffeyville, inundating the refinery there.