Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi put the pressure on Hurricane Irma debris haulers who have allegedly raised prices or aren’t moving fast enough to pickup debris.
Trump decided Florida taxpayers won’t have to dig as deep into their pockets to pay to clean up the mess left by Irma. Under a Sept. 10 major disaster declaration, local cities and counties could count on FEMA to reimburse them for 75 percent of their total eligible debris removal costs.
On Monday, Trump pushed that level up to 90 percent, covering costs incurred for a 30-day period after the original declaration.
Bondi subpoenaed three debris hauling firms Monday for their records in her debris-removal investigation.
The subpoenas request documents to see:
- If companies are providing contracted services
- How long the removal process should take
- How much they’re charging
- If those rates have been increased
- They’re also seeking information about subcontractors
“These subpoenas seek to answer questions about why many communities are continuing to struggle with the hazards of debris while having to contend with rate hikes,” Bondi said in a statement.
One company receiving a subpoena is AshBritt Inc., which has gotten cities including Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton to approve increases.
The two other companies are Ceres Environmental Services Inc. and DRC Emergency Services Inc.