Senator Dick Durbin Asks Interior Secretary to Move Forward with Buffalo Creek Reservoir Project
By newsdesk - Posted on December 14th, 2007
December 13, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) personally called Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne asking him to immediately review a National Park Service decision preventing an important flood protection project in Lake County, Illinois – the Buffalo Creek Reservoir Project – from moving forward. This project is an essential component of an overall flood containment plan for the Des Plaines River which flooded again last August.
“Before Des Plaines received a Presidential Emergency declaration this past August, I visited the site of the flood with Mayor Tony Arredia. That community spent millions to sandbag the waterways, remove downed trees and pump floodwater away from residential and business areas,” said Durbin. “I saw firsthand the desperate need of flood control measures like the Buffalo Creek Reservoir. Secretary Kempthorne has assured me personally that he understands this need and will work to see that this issue is resolved.”
“We are thrilled with Senator Durbin’s involvement on this important issue for the north and northwest suburbs,” said State Representative Elaine Nekritz (D – Des Plaines). “All levels of government have been working for years to push forward on these desperately needed flood control projects along the Des Plaines River and this is one of the final hurdles to be crossed.”
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago has been blocked from moving forward with the $30 million Buffalo Creek Reservoir Project because of a National Park Service decision regarding a $190,000 Land and Conservation Fund grant Lake County received in 1993. The local Park Service feels that the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant Lake County received in 1993 prohibits any “conversion” to any property use other than recreational opportunities or green space. However, the MWRD project in addition to the reservoir will actually increase the amount of park space while giving the community badly needed flood protection.
The conversation between Durbin and Kempthorne was a follow-up to a November 9th letter that Durbin sent to the Interior Secretary in support of the Buffalo Creek Reservoir Project. In the letter, Durbin wrote: “The combined benefits of increased flood protection and green space merit special consideration for this project. I respectfully request that you allow the Lake County Forest Preserve District and MWRD to move forward with the Buffalo Creek reservoir project so these residents can be better protected from floods and benefit from enhanced recreational facilities.”
Source: Senator Dick Durbin
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