JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is seeking extension of a federal program covering most of the cost of removing debris from the May tornado in Joplin.
Nixon filed a request Tuesday with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend the Expedited Debris Removal Program for Joplin until Aug. 31. It's currently scheduled to expire Aug. 7.
Under the program, the federal government pays 90 percent of the cost of rapid removal of debris from areas of extensive or catastrophic damage. The federal share falls to 75 percent once the program expires.
Nixon says more than 1.1 cubic yards of debris have already been removed under the program. The May 22 tornado destroyed about 8,000 homes and business in Joplin and killed more than 150 people.