Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) received an update today from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District Commander Colonel Steven Sattinger about several Illinois water infrastructure projects including the Quincy Bay Restoration Project, the Brandon Road Project, and the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP).
On the call, Durbin spoke with Colonel Sattinger about securing an additional $20 million in funding for the Quincy Bay project through the U.S. Army Corps’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration program to aid in addressing Quincy Bay’s severe sedimentation and land erosion. Last year, Durbin successfully fought for language in the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Energy & Water appropriations bill directing the Army Corps to continue working with Quincy to prioritize the restoration of Quincy Bay.
Durbin and Colonel Sattinger discussed the Corps’ ongoing work on the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), which will modernize and expand seven locks in high-traffic areas along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers while assisting in ecosystem restoration. Last year, Durbin successfully included $4.5 million in funding in the FY20 Energy & Water appropriations bill for preconstruction, engineering, and design (PED) for the project.
“We need functional and environmentally sound waterways in Illinois, but years of wear and tear have left our water infrastructure in desperate need of restoration to combat invasive species and erosion and modernize the locks in high-traffic areas. I’m proud to work alongside the Army Corps and local stakeholders to push for federal investment into Illinois’ key water infrastructure projects,” said Durbin.
Colonel Sattinger also provided Durbin with a status update on negotiations between the Corps and Illinois over the design of the Brandon Road Project to prevent invasive Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
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