Governor Mitch Daniels and Congressman Pete Visclosky today sent a joint letter to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) to request assistance with funding to complete the Little Calumet River Flood Control and Recreation project.

Daniels and Visclosky have asked the RDA’s Board to provide $6 million in local match funds needed to complete the work. They suggested that the RDA consider an advance to be repaid over the next several years in state appropriations that are contained in the state’s budget. Since 1990, $119.2 million in federal funds have been obtained to support the levee construction, and there is $15 million in Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations to support construction activities.

“When complete, the Little Calumet River Flood Control project will get people, homes and businesses out of the floodplain and eliminate their mandatory flood insurance payments – which is essentially an automatic tax cut for the people affected in Northwest Indiana,” said Congressman Visclosky. “I applaud Governor Daniels for thinking outside the box and collaborating on a creative solution to finish this important economic development project.”

"Congressman Visclosky and I discussed the project while I was in Washington last week and quickly agreed that we would approach the RDA to seek the assistance needed to complete this project that will benefit so many people in Northwest Indiana," said Governor Daniels.