Legislators voice need for levee work

Four Illinois legislators have sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to include levees and water infrastructure improvements in efforts to improve the nation’s infrastructure.

The letter was sent to the president by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.

Noting the president’s recent emphasis on infrastructure development as a key component in economic growth, they reinforced the need to include repairing and improving America’s levees as a part of this process.

The four legislators held a Southern Illinois levee summit in December at Shawnee High School at Wolf Lake, and are continuing to work with the Delta Regional Authority, local levee districts and state officials to address these issues in a comprehensive way.

“We have been working for years on improving our nation’s levees: this is a $100 billion national problem, and it needs to be addressed in a bipartisan way,” Costello said in a news release.

“In our area and across the nation, we are dealing with communities that need assistance with levee maintenance and flood protection.

"For that reason, we are continuing to urge President Obama to include a strong federal commitment to our levees as we move forward with efforts to invest in our nation’s infrastructure.”