Durbin: Senate Committee Approves More Than $134 Million In Energy And Water Funding For Illinois

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Durbin is a member, has approved $134,315,000 for energy- and water-related projects in Illinois.

The Fiscal Year 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill includes funding for the following projects:

Department of Energy

City of Monmouth: $500,000 in funding for a renewable energy co-generation project that will use industrial waste to power homes and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere.
Lake Land College, Mattoon: $750,000 in funding for the installation of a ground source heat pump system that will allow the college to educate students and the community about geothermal technology while reducing the energy use of their buildings by up to 70 percent. Lake Land College is installing energy efficiency and renewable energy technology throughout their campus as an innovative approach to training the next “green” workforce.
Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine, Springfield: $750,000 in funding to advance medical research at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, including the acquisition of critical laboratory equipment. The School has an active medical research program that is investigating prevention, treatments and cures through research projects ranging from cancer, neurophysiology, toxicology, microbial infections, and general health conditions.

Army Corps of Engineers

Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal Aquatic Nuisance Species Barrier System, Chicago: $18,550,000 in funding to continue operation of a system to eliminate potential bypasses of non-indigenous aquatic nuisance species such as the Asian carp and to continue construction of permanent barriers.
Inter-Basin Control of Great Lakes-Mississippi River Aquatic Nuisance Species, Chicago: $750,000 in funding to continue a study, including consultations with appropriate Federal, State, local and non-governmental agencies, on the range of options and technologies to prevent the inter-basin transfer of aquatic nuisance species.
Carlyle Lake, Carlyle: $5,643,000 in funding for operations and maintenance at Carlyle Lake, the largest man-made lake in Illinois, with over 26,000 acres of water and 11,000 acres of public land. Funding is needed to provide flood control, water quality control, and water supply to nearby communities as well as recreation and fish and wildlife conservation. This project is situated in Clinton, Fayette, Bond, and Marion Counties.
Chain of Rocks, Madison County: $5,385,000 in funding for a deficiency correction which includes the installation of relief wells, construction of levee berms, a pump station, relocations, and mitigation. The levee protects a major urban area and is located in Madison County.
Des Plaines River Flood Damage Reduction Phase I, Illinois: $10,000,000 in funding for construction work on Levee 37 and to initiate construction of Big Bend Lake. These projects will provide flood protection for communities along the Des Plaines River in Cook and Lake Counties.
Des Plaines River Flood Damage Reduction Study Phase II, Illinois: $500,000 in funding for hydrology, hydraulic studies, and formulation for the remaining tributaries and the main stem of the Des Plaines River. The study is being conducted to determine how to further reduce main stem flooding, reduce tributary flooding, and restore degraded ecosystems within the Des Plaines River basin.
East St. Louis, Madison / St. Clair Counties: $2,000,000 in funding for the replacement/rehabilitation flood control project that provides flood protection to 200,000 residents and over $1 billion in economic value. This flood control project is outdated and requires rehabilitation to provide a thorough level of protection. The project is located in St. Clair and Madison Counties along the bank of the Mississippi River.
Gateway Harbor, Chicago: Authorization language to allow the City of Chicago to rehabilitate and develop the waterfront area between Navy Pier and the Chicago River. This initiative will provide public access, public marina facilities, and extended storm damage protection for moored vessels. This area, currently a non-maintained federal navigation area, would be rehabilitated at no cost to the federal government.
Illinois River Basin Restoration, Peoria: $750,000 in funding to continue planning and construction to restore and conserve the ecological integrity of the Illinois River, including the reduction of sediment delivery, restoring side channels and backwaters, restoring floodplain riparian and aquatic habitat and function, and improving water and sediment quality.
Lake Shelbyville, Shelbyville: $5,512,000 in funding to repair the dam, provide flood control, water supply, recreation, conservation of fish and wildlife, and water quality control and augment navigation flows downstream on the Kaskaskia River.
McCook and Thornton Reservoirs, Chicago: $40,000,000 in funding for continued construction of the McCook Reservoir in the Chicago Underflow Plan. This project benefits the City of Chicago and 36 suburban communities by reducing untreated sewage back flow into Lake Michigan and reducing basement flooding by protecting nearly 150,000 structures.
Nutwood Drainage and Levee District, Greene / Jersey Counties: $300,000 in funding for design of levee improvements and expansion. The Nutwood Drainage and Levee District protects 10,360 acres of primarily agricultural land located in Green and Jersey Counties. With additional funding, this federally constructed levee will provide protection for a 25-year flood.
Prairie du Pont Sanitary District and Fish Lake Drainage and Levee District, St. Clair / Monroe Counties: $850,000 in funding to assess the potential for reconstruction of deteriorated features at a levee plagued with underseepage problems and begin construction to address these problems to protect against future flooding. The study area is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in St. Clair and Monroe Counties.
Rend Lake, Rend Lake: $5,702,000 in funding to provide flood control, water supply, recreation, conservation of fish and wildlife, and area redevelopment. This project is located near Benton, Illinois, in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.
Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Plan, Western Illinois: $750,000 in funding to expand an ongoing ecosystem study of the Upper Mississippi River to include the impact of tributaries on the River. The study will determine federal interest in greater flood risk management for transportation infrastructure, flood reconstruction, and system-wide flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, nutrient management, recreation, and watershed management.
Upper Mississippi River Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program, Western Illinois: $4,000,000 in funding for continued preconstruction engineering and design work. This work is a necessary precursor for the construction of a new lock and dam system on the Upper Mississippi River.
Upper Mississippi River Restoration, Western Illinois: $19,000,000 in funding for continued ecosystem restoration along the Upper Mississippi River, including construction work around Batchtown and Swan Lake, Illinois, and design work for Wilkinson Island and Rip Rap Landing, Illinois.
Wood River Levee, Wood River: $1,098,000 for the reconstruction/replacement of various components of 26 closure structures, 38 gravity drains, and 7 pump stations, in addition to the replacement of 163 of the 170 existing relief well and the installation of 60 new relief wells. These actions are required to maintain the system’s authorized level of protection. The project is located in the Mississippi River floodplain of Madison County, upstream of the city of East St. Louis.
Operations and Maintenance, Statewide: The following projects were also included in the bill under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance: Calumet Harbor and River ($4,238,000); Chicago Harbor ($2,064,000); Chicago River ($510,000); Farm Creek Reservoirs ($398,000); Kaskaskia River Navigation ($2,176,000); Lake Michigan Diversion ($710,000); Surveillance of Northern Boundary Waters ($689,000); Waukegan Harbor ($590,000).
Construction, Statewide: The following project was also included in the bill under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Construction, and General: Alton to Gale Levee District ($150,000).

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