There's still no financial help for homeowners in 42 Connecticut towns saddled with crumbling foundations.
It may be of little consolation to them, but Connecticut’s U.S. senators have taken a step toward preventing this from happening in the future. They want a standard for how much of the corrosive mineral causing crumbling foundations is safe to have in concrete.
The senators got a provision attached to a bill that would establish what are acceptable levels of the mineral known as pyrrhotite. Senators are also still working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to redefine what is known as a natural disaster to get funding. Many crumbling foundations are not covered by insurance, and the statute of limitations to recover funds from concrete installers or manufacturers have expired.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said at the capitol Friday, "Pyrrhotite was not the cause of these crumbling foundations by virtue of anything that man did. It should be regarded as a natural disaster. And we've been urging FEMA to take action that would provide relief."
Our congressional delegation is also still talking with another federal agency, insurers, plus state and local governments to get homeowners aid in the form of grants and loans.
