St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said Friday it could take “several years” to remove debris left by the May 16 tornado if the city’s request for help from the Army Corps of Engineers is denied.

The mayor sent a letter to state officials in July asking for help from the Corps to remove an estimated 1 million tons of debris.

“This is an effort that, frankly, we don't have the local expertise or the manpower within city government to lead,” Spencer said at a press briefing. “It is an enormous lift, and we are really leaning on our federal and state partners to get this handled in the most efficient and effective way possible.”

The request has the support of the entire Missouri congressional delegation and has been forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will make the fina

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