Local leaders cast blame on Trump administration for damaged Pacifica Pier
Rep. Sam Liccardo along with local and state officials said Monday the deterioration of the Pacifica Pier could have been prevented had the Trump administration not cut FEMA funding to shore up the seawall.
Emergency work is ongoing to prevent the pier from collapsing into the ocean after major cracks formed more than a week ago and continued to worsen. Crews have already demolished a popular cafe that was located on the pier, and construction work is underway to help stabilize the area.
Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are
Powerful storms caused some of the collapse, but the problem has been brewing for years, which is why the shoreline and the pier were fast-tracked for a FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant of about $50 million.
"The whole idea of the BRIC grant was actually to go ahead and invest in infrastructure before it fails, and if you do, you literally save in some cases 100 to one on the dollar," San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Muelle…