"We have worked closely with the affected counties to identify those homes that can be forever removed from harm's way, and, with this additional money, we can complete the list of buyouts we submitted last fall," said Lt. Gov. Schweiker, chairman of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council. "I want to thank Congress for supporting the supplemental appropriation to the Hazard Mitigation Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its prompt answer to Gov. Ridge's request for this funding."

Already more than $4.6 million in property acquisitions have been funded, removing more than 70 homes from the floodplain in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties. According to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) officials, this supplemental funding will allow the remaining 76 homes that were submitted to PEMA by the affected counties to now be purchased.

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is designed to assist county and local governments in taking proactive steps to reduce the impact of future disasters. The amount of hazard mitigation grant money is based on 15 percent of the total amount of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief money spent in any one disaster. Earlier this year PEMA received $4.6 million, which allowed six local projects, totaling 71 homes, to go forward. The remaining eight projects on the list were waiting future funding.

"This supplemental funding allows us to complete our initial list of acquisitions totaling more than $13 million in federal, state and local funds," Schweiker said. "We now can provide the county and local governments with the resources to purchase these flooded homes and help these families achieve some closure in the aftermath of the flooding."

Acquisitions under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program are funded with 75 percent federal dollars and 25 percent non-federal dollars. Of the non- federal share, Gov. Ridge has committed that the state will pay 22 percent and that local governments will only have to provide the remaining 3 percent. According to PEMA, the homes will be purchased at their pre-flood fair market value and the properties will be razed, never to be flood damaged again. Under this voluntary program, the Ridge Administration has been able to remove from the floodplain more than 700 properties statewide since 1996.

BUCKS COUNTY

Middletown - Acquisition of 27 properties. Total project cost: $3.5 million.

Bristol - Acquisition of five properties. Total project cost: $582,700.

Bensalem - Acquisition of 12 properties. Total project cost: $1.5 million.

Warrington - Acquisition of two properties. Total project cost: $299,440.

Middletown - Acquisition of 12 properties. Total project cost: $1.7 million.

DELAWARE COUNTY

Chester City - Acquisition of 10 properties. Total project cost: $470,500.

Chester Township - Acquisition of five properties. Total project cost: $374,250.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Skippack - Acquisition of one property. Total project cost: $84,500.

Upper Moreland - Acquisition of two properties. Total project cost: $228,000.