Representative Lois Capps toured the Santa Maria Levee on 8/7 along with officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and representatives from both the City of Santa Maria and Santa Barbara County. The potential for a levee failure to flood the surrounding area – including homes and a nearby contaminated soil collection site – has long prompted concerned parties to seek funding to reinforce the structure. Last week, the City of Santa Maria was allotted $400,000 in federal funding for projects, but none of that money was dedicated for levee repairs.
