Durbin Meets with Col. Sinkler to Discuss Rockford Flooding and Keith Creek Feasibility Study

Press Release

Durbin Meets with Col. Sinkler to Discuss Rockford Flooding and Keith Creek Feasibility Study

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Colonel Robert Sinkler, Commander of the Rock Island District, Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the recent flooding in Winnebago County and the Keith Creek feasibility study.

"Colonel Sinkler and I agree that the Keith Creek project is the most important study for the Army Corps of Engineers in the Rockford area," said Durbin. "I commended Colonel Sinkler for coordinating with the Corps headquarters in Washington to secure preliminary funding and asked him for monthly updates on the study's progress. Congressman Manzullo and I will continue working together in Congress to facilitate swift action on the study."

On August 13, 2007, Durbin and Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) met with Colonel Sinkler, Commander of the Rock Island District of the Corps of Engineers, asking that unused Corps funds be used for the Keith Creek project. The project entails a feasibility study that will determine what steps need to be taken by the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Rockford to prevent flood damage to homes and businesses in the future. On September 5 the Illinois lawmakers announced that the effort was successful and that the Army Corps of Engineers was able to reprogram funds for the Keith Creek feasibility study. Once a Feasibility Cost-Share Agreement (FCA) can be negotiated between the City of Rockford and the Army Corps of Engineers, work can begin on the study.

Assessments indicate that homes and businesses located in the path of the rapidly rising flood water in the City of Freeport in Stephenson County and the Village of Cherry Valley and the City of Rockford in Winnebago County received the most severe impacts of the flash flooding. President Bush issued a major disaster declaration for Stephenson and Winnebago Counties (Rockford area) for damage caused by severe storms and flooding August 7-8 as requested by Governor Rod Blagojevich and supported by Durbin, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL).

On August 22, 2007, Durbin, Obama and Manzullo wrote a letter to the President in support of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's request for a major disaster declaration for Winnebago County and Stephenson County as a result of flooding August 7-8. In response to this request, the President declared these areas as federal disaster areas on August 30.

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