NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Padilla, Reps. Brownley, Sherman Urge FEMA to Provide Answers on Delay to Release Millions in Federal Funding for Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Project in[...]

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), and U.S. Representatives Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to quickly release more than $4 million in federal funding for the Encinal Canyon Road Emergency Interconnection Project. This project is essential for protecting the flow of fire hydrants and building connections during firefighting operations in the western Malibu community. Malibu was among the cities impacted by the Palisades fire in January 2025.

The Los Angeles County was selected for $4,893,885 in FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) award in December 2024 to support construction. However, the project has been significantly delayed due to FEMA's prolonged processing of the award. The project would provide an urgently needed alternative water source during emergencies, system disruptions, or supply shortages. Any failure to complete this project could jeopardize potable water and fire protection for up to 23,000 residents.

"The issuance of this grant is essential to strengthen critical infrastructure and ensure the community remains resilient in the face of increasing risk of natural disasters" the lawmakers wrote.

Background: Schiff has led multiple efforts to support communities impacted by natural disasters and to protect them from future disasters.

He's continued calling out the refusal of the Trump administration to provide overdue disaster relief funding for California, more than a year and half past due for communities impacted by Eaton and Palisades fires.

The first bill Schiff introduced in the Senate was legislation promoting community resilience to natural disasters through the creation of a new federal tax credit to incentivize home hardening. He's also authored legislation to stabilize prices for homeowners' insurance, to grant mortgage relief for disaster survivors, has joined bipartisan legislation to exempt from federal taxes the rebates homeowners receive when protecting their home against natural disasters.

Schiff has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the firefighting capacity at the United States Forest Service as staffing shortages persist and as California faces extreme heat warnings and wildfire season.

Last week, the Senate voted unanimously to send his bipartisan, bicameral the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, to the President's desk. The bill provides meaningful and long-overdue tax relief for victims of natural disasters and ensures survivors have immediate access to tax relief for years to come.

The full text of the letter can be viewed here and below:

Dear Administrator Hamilton,

We are writing to request your assistance regarding a critical infrastructure project for Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29, the Encinal Canyon Road Emergency Interconnection Project. This project is essential to protecting the reliability of drinking water and needed fire flow for fire hydrants and building connections during firefighting operations in the western Malibu community and was selected for a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) award in December 2024. However, the project has been significantly delayed due to FEMA's prolonged processing of the award.

The Encinal Interconnection will construct approximately 7,000 feet of new water main and appurtenances to connect District 29 with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. This new interconnection will provide an urgently needed alternative water source during emergencies, system disruptions, or supply shortages. The Malibu area currently relies on a single 35-mile transmission main that traverses steep, landslide-prone coastal terrain. Any failure along this alignment would jeopardize potable water and fire protection for up to 23,000 residents, and this interconnection will provide vital resiliency for the community.

The County completed the design and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the project on November 18, 2025. The total project cost is approximately $9 million, and the County had applied for $4,893,885 in HMGP funding to support construction.

The project application (AP1140) was submitted under HMGP DR-4683 in August 2023 and was selected for award in December 2024. However, more than a year and a half later, FEMA has not issued a Notice of Award. FEMA has cited an ongoing environmental review, despite the project being limited to buried pipeline installation within an existing roadway, and no notable impacts anticipated. The project has already completed environmental reviews consistent with local and state laws.

We have been informed that the County cannot advertise the construction contract until FEMA issues the grant award, or they risk forfeiting the funding. As a result, the project remains on hold, and the delay poses a threat to public safety and emergency preparedness.

Considering the critical importance of this project, we respectfully request answers to the following questions:

1. What is the status of FEMA's review for AP1140?
2. What is the specific reason for the extended environmental review?
3. What is the estimated timeline for issuance of the Notice of Award?

The issuance of this grant is essential to strengthen critical infrastructure and ensure the community remains resilient in the face of increasing risk of natural disasters. We appreciate your expeditious attention to this critical matter.

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