Durbin, Duckworth Secure Illinois Wins In Water Resources Development Act
The bill, which includes provisions on Brandon Road, Quincy Bay, and Cahokia Heights, will head to President Biden's desk
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), founding Co-Chair of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, today highlighted several critical provisions they successfully secured for Illinois in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, which passed the Senate and will head to President Biden’s desk. These provisions – ranging from adjusting the cost share for the Brandon Road Project to improving water infrastructure in the Metro East region – aim to accelerate and fund major infrastructure projects across the state while bringing environmental justice to marginalized communities.
“Chock-full of funding for water infrastructure projects in Illinois, this year’s Water Resources Development Act is well-rounded legislation that will support our state in improving its water infrastructure. The WRDA will help modernize dilapidated infrastructure, protect lands prone to dangerous flooding, and take the burden off the State of Illinois to financially support the Brandon Road Project, which aims to protect our valuable Great Lakes,” said Durbin. “Senator Duckworth and I fought to ensure Illinois was well-taken care of in the legislation, and I’m encouraged to see so many of our provisions make it into the final version of the bill.”
“Protecting and strengthening our inland waterways and water infrastructure is critical to growing our local economies and protecting the health and safety of our communities,” Duckworth said. “I’m glad to see the Water Resources Development Act—which includes my provisions to boost the economy, protect public health and address environmental injustices—head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. I’m particularly proud that this legislation prioritizes the communities that are at the forefront of these climate change challenges yet are far too often overlooked by those in positions of power.”
Key Durbin and Duckworth priorities included in this year’s WRDA include:
Brandon Road. The bill changes the cost share for operations and maintenance of the Brandon Road project to be 90 percent federal and 10 percent state. The Brandon Road Project will construct a new engineered channel at Brandon Road in Joliet, Illinois, that will be used to test and deploy a range of technologies to prevent invasive Carp from moving further north to the Great Lakes. To date, Durbin and Duckworth have secured $272 million for the Brandon Road project, including $225.2 million for construction in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and $47.3 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill.
Quincy Bay. The bill includes language to expediate the Quincy Bay Restoration Project, which aims to reverse the impact of sedimentation and erosion at Quincy Bay to improve the quality and diversity of waterfowl, fish, and wildlife populations, aquatic and forest habitat, and other ecologically significant features such as water depth and wetlands.
East St. Louis Reevaluation Report. The bill includes language for a general reevaluation report for the Illinois Ecosystem Restoration and Flood Damage Reduction Project for East St. Louis and the surrounding vicinity. This report will begin to address flooding in this region.
Upper Mississippi River System Floodplain Study. The Senators requested a long-term study to improve flood conveyance in the Upper Mississippi System. The bill expedites watershed assessments for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers authorized in 2016 and 2020.
Upper Mississippi River System Restoration Program. The bill includes the Senators’ request to increase the annual authorization of appropriations for Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) long-term resource monitoring from $15 million per year to $25 million per year.
Inland Waterway Projects. Durbin and Duckworth secured a provision to improve the federal cost share for inland waterway projects, including Illinois locks and dams in the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), to a 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal cost share.
Section 219, Environmental Infrastructure Changes:
- Madison and St. Clair Counties. The bill includes the Senators’ request to allow stormwater management to be part of the scope of existing water and wastewater infrastructure assistance. The bill increases the authorization from $100 million to $150 million.
- Calumet City. The bill includes the Senators’ request for a $10 million authorization for the City to address an outdated and inefficient water system, including improvements to detention basins and pump stations. Detention basin improvements will consist of erosion and bank stabilization, native and sustainable plantings in the bottom of the basins, capacity expansion, and maintenance operation needs at storm sewer connections.
- Central Illinois Communities. The bill includes the Senators’ request to expand Section 219 authority for Montgomery County, Christian County, Fayette County, Shelby County, Jasper County, Richland County, Crawford County, and Lawrence County. These communities are all struggling from aging drinking water infrastructure and have limited groundwater resources available, and it will assist them in updating their water systems.
Fox River Illinois River Basin Restoration. The bill includes the Senators’ language reauthorizing the program, which expired in 2010, and extends it to run through 2029.
Butterfield Creek Tributary Feasibility Study. The bill includes the Senators’ request to conduct a study on flooding and develop a course of action to address the issue in the villages of Flossmoor, Matteson, Park Forest, and Richton Park. These communities have struggled with frequent flooding along the creek, impacting homes and roads.
Requests for the Corps to Update Technology. The bill includes the Senators’ request to conduct a review for the Corps to modernize the civil works program through the use of technology, including using resources available at National Laboratories.
Requests for the Corps to Update Safety Guidelines. The bill includes language requiring the Corps to update their levee safety guidelines. Levee failures are exceedingly hazardous causing tremendous, short- and long-term issues for communities, companies, and land and we must improve our access, guidance, and data to this issue.
Independent External Peer Review Requirement. The bill includes language extending the required use of Independent External Peer Review (IEPR) in Corps projects to improve the quality of studies, the public’s confidence in USACE project plans, and the safety and efficacy of USACE projects.
Project Partnership Agreements (PPA) with the Corps. The bill includes a study of the implications of the indemnification clause in PPAs and the impact of indemnification clauses on state laws with a report back that will be sent to the Committee within one year. The bill includes requirements calling for the Corps to create a Project Partnership Agreement handbook to analyze their current practices and identify places where they can be improved upon, including permitting, costs, operations and maintenance, and contributions.
Renaming of Fermilab Integrated Engineering Research Center. The bill includes Durbin’s resolution to rename Fermilab’s Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC) after the late Dr. Helen Edwards, who worked at Fermilab as a particle physicist for 40 years.
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