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Congresswoman Melissa Bean (IL-08) announced that the House will vote on legislation today that includes funding she requested in H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010. This list includes requests that were included in the final bill. To see a list of requests submitted to the committee, click here.
Lake County Wetland Preservation and Restoration Plan
- Recipient: Lake County, IL
- Description: $200,000 in the Army Corps of Engineers Planning Assistance to States account to prepare a countywide plan to identify key wetlands. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because these wetlands will be preserved and restored to reduce flood damages, improve water quality, and protect high quality natural resources. The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission projects a 63 percent increase in population in the Des Plaines River watershed from 1990 to 2030. Already, Lake County has lost over 42 percent (38,000 acres) of its wetlands since settlement. Therefore, the plan promulgation process will: (1) examine the County’s remaining wetland resources and their potential flood damage reduction, water quality functions, and natural resource value, (2) use County database information to identify areas that continue to experience flood damages, (3) identify those wetlands that should be preserved or restored, and (4) develop a prioritized list of these resources that can be used by SMC, other agencies, and local groups to implement projects.
McCook and Thornton Reservoirs
- Recipient: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
- Description: $19,376,000, requested in conjunction with other Members, in the Army Corps of Engineers General Construction account for the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs construction project authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1988. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because completing the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs and bringing them fully on-line is crucial to local communities, the health of Lake Michigan and its tributaries, and to the economic development of the region. Without timely completion of the project, communities will face decreased drinking water allocations, significant decreases in water quality and thousands of homes will be vulnerable to flooding. In fact, at any one time, over 550,000 homes are subject to flooding with annual damages sustained exceeding $150 million.
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