World Trade Center Information

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

September 19, 2001

The Honorable Donald T. DiFrancesco
Acting Governor of New Jersey
125 W. State St., P.O. Box 001
Trenton, New Jersey 08625

Dear Acting Governor DiFrancesco:

Pursuant to your request, I have declared an emergency under Section 501(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5204c (the Stafford Act), for the State of New Jersey due to the conditions resulting from fires and explosions in the State of New York on September 11, 2001.

These events have had a direct and significant impact on New Jersey, which has provided response services and emergency measures at an extraordinary level due to its immediate proximity to the disaster site in New York, as well as its joint responsibility, through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for facilities such as bridges to New York City. I thus have authorized Federal relief and recovery assistance in the affected area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to coordinate all disaster relief efforts that have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering of the local population caused by the emergency and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, as authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures at 100 percent Federal funding.

FEMA will coordinate Federal assistance efforts and designate specific areas of eligible for such assistance. The Federal Coordinating Officer will be Peter J. Martinasco. He will consult with you and assist in the execution of the FEMA-State Agreement for emergency assistance governing the expenditure of Federal funds.

Sincerely,

/s/ George W. Bush