News

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Press Releases

• Durbin, Costello: FEMA To Protect Metro East Residents and Businesses in Flood Remapping - durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=303515 - September 23, 2008
   
• Dunstan to Co-Chair New State Flood Panel - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - August 26, 2008
   
• Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General media availability today – Mid America Airport, Mascoutah, IL - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District - June 23, 2008
   
• Metro East Marks Key Milestone in its Levee Restoration Process as Fema Releases Preliminary Flood Plain Maps for the American Bottoms - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - June 13, 2008
   
• New Website Launched To Keep Public Informed about Levee Restoration Effort in the Metro East - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - June 4, 2008 .
   
• St. Louis Hosts Midwest Levee Conference - Army Corps of Engineers, May 29, 2008
   
• Leadership Task Force Guiding Levee Resoration Efforts Applauds Gov. Blagojevich’s Swift Signing of Sb 2052 - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - May 21, 2008
   
• Leadership Task Force Guiding Levee Resoration Efforts Endorses Sb 2052 - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - March 13, 2008
   
• Leadership Task Force Meets to Discuss next Steps in Effort to Guide Levee Restoration Efforts in the Metro East - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - February 25, 2008
   
• County Board Chairs Announce Formation of New Task Force To Lead Levee Restoration Efforts in the Metro East - Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention Initiative - January 31, 2008

TASK FORCE UPDATES

October 2008

• Week ending October 24, 2008: What’s happening in Monroe County; Madison County; St. Clair County

September 2008

• Week ending September 26, 2008: FEMA Changes Map Schedule; Strategy for Prairie Dupont and Fish Lake; and New Subsurface Investigation to Begin in Wood River and MESD
   
• Week ending September 12, 2008: Monroe County; Flood Prevention Districts hold first combined meeting

August 2008

• Week ending August 29, 2008: Governor Blagojevich appoints Alan Dunstan to Flood Panel; DRAFT Supplement Report for Prairie du Pont and Fish Lake Levee Districts; Monroe County Flood Prevention District; Three Flood Prevention Districts to Meet
   
• Week ending August 22, 2008: Monroe County Flood Prevention District Meetings; Madison County Board; St. Clair County Flood Prevention District; All Three Flood Prevention Districts to Meet Together
   
• Week ending August 15, 2008: Prairie Du Pont Drainage and Levee District; Monroe County Flood Prevention District; St. Clair County Flood Prevention District; Program Management Plan; Mississippi River Commission Meeting in Alton;
   
• Week ending August 8, 2008: Madison County Flood Prevention District acts on sales tax for levee repair; Monroe County Flood Prevention District briefed by Corps of Engineers; Mississippi River Commission meeting on August 15th; Update on Developed Area Maps for AR Zone Status; Legislative action required on “developed area” maps; Community Engagement Activities
   
• Week ending August 1, 2008: St. Clair County approves new levee repair sales tax; Madison County Flood Prevention District Meeting; Monroe County Flood Prevention District Meeting; FEMA preliminary flood maps available on-line; FEMA Open Houses held this week; Task Force members participate in Corps of Engineers’ Low Water Inspection Tour

July 2008

• Week ending July 25, 2008: St. Clair County Flood Prevention District Meeting; Monroe County Flood Prevention District Meeting; and Reminder of FEMA Open Houses
   
• Week ending July 18, 2008: Flood Prevention Districts; Staff Training; Public Engagement and Website Update; The Costello Amendment and H.R. 3121, the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007; Comment Forms for FEMA’s Preliminary Maps; Address Correction: Monroe County Point of Contact re Preliminary Maps; and FEMA Open Houses
   
• Week ending July 11, 2008: Monroe County Establishes Flood Prevention District; County and Municipal Staff Training; FEMA Open Houses - Reminder; Mississippi River reopens; Points of Contact for the Preliminary FIRMS and the “Developed Area” Maps; Refining the Developed Area Maps
   
• Week ending July 4, 2008: Madison County Flood Prevention District Commission; St. Clair County Approves Flood Prevention District Commission; Change of Command at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District; Wood River Project Partnership Agreement Signed; Prairie du Pont Levee and Drainage District Engineering Work Progress; Flood Insurance Rates FEMA Open Houses

June 2008

• Week ending June 27, 2008: Midwest Flooding and Responsibility for Levees; Restoration Project Management; Flood Insurance; FEMA Open Houses; Municipal Staff Training; Trailer Bill (SB 836) Signed; Wood River and USACE to sign Project Partnership Agreement
   
• Week ending June 20, 2008: Madison County; FEMA Open Houses; Municipal Staff Training; FEMA Mapping Update; Current Conditions on the Mississippi River; Task Force Members Tour Prairie Du Pont and Fish Lake Levees (photos of tour); New Floodgates; Costello and Durbin Amendments
   
• Week ending June 13, 2008: Release of FEMA’s Preliminary Flood Maps ; Current Conditions on the Mississippi River ; Levee Task Force Information Meeting held in Waterloo ; Madison County ; FEMA Open Houses ; Staff Training
   
• Week ending June 6, 2008: Levee Task Force Passes Resolution, Debriefing: Midwest Levee Conference – Managing Flood Risk Together, Clarification of SB 836 – Trailer Bill to SB 2052; Save the Dates for FEMA Open Houses

May 2008

• Week ending May 30, 2008: Illinois Senate Bill 2052, Next Task Force Meeting, Costello / Durbin Amendments, Meeting with FEMA to discuss July public forums and mapping issues, 2008 Midwest Levee Conference
   
• Week ending May 16, 2008: Illinois Senate Bill 2052, Next Task Force Meeting, Community and Business Engagement, FEMA /AR Zone Letter, FEMA Open House Reminder, 2008 Midwest Levee Conference - Managing Flood Risk Together
   
• Week ending May 9, 2008: Illinois Senate Bill 2052, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Costello Amendment, URS/AMEC to Meet with Corps to Evaluate Costs, Maps Showing Properties Assessed or Taxed in Each Levee District, FEMA Sends Letter to Communities Regarding AR Zone Status
   
• Week ending May 2, 2008: Prairie Du Pont and Fish Lake Meeting at the Corps, Downstate Caucus Presentation April 29, 2008, Business and Community Engagement, Waterloo joins Columbia in Opposition to SB 2052
   

April 2008

• Week ending April 25, 2008: Media Update - Illinois Senate Bill 2052, ,Chairman Dunstan Presentation to East Alton Rotary, April 25 Levee Tour for Leadership Task Force, H. R. 3121 Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007, June 2-5 Midwest Levee Conference Coming to St. Louis, Community and Business Engagement Group Update
   
• Week ending April 18, 2008: Illinois Senate Bill 2052, Media Update, April 25 Levee Tour for Leadership Task Force, Sterman Testifies Before Congress, H. R. 3121 Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007, Community and Business Engagement Group Update, Consultant Activities

NEWS CLIPPINGS

October-December 2008:

• Articles include:
• 10/03/08 - Guest view: Region pushes ahead with levee restoration -
  bnd.com

July-September 2008:

• Articles include:
• 09/26/08 - Area levee checks will continue - the Intelligencer.com
• 09/23/08 - FEMA eases mandate on Metro East flood insurance -
  thetelegraph.com
• 09/08/08 - American Bottom to be hit with expensive flood insurance
  mandate - Illinois Business Journal
• 09/02/08 - Monroe County: Flood District recommends tax - Monroe
  County Clarion
• 08/07/08 - Madison County board may impose sales tax to aid levee
  repair - bnd.com
• 07/30/08 - Monroe County residents look at new flood maps; more land
  said to be at risk - bnd.com
• 07/29/08 - St. Clair County Board OKs levee tax, rejects development
  plan - bnd.com
• 07/20/08 - Report outlines costs of flood, levee work - thetelegraph.com
• 07/10/08 - Public should attend FEMA meetings - thetelegraph.com
• 07/06/08 - Leaders tackle levee repair issues
• 07/05/08 - COLUMBIA: Engineers fix sand boils - Clarion
• 07/05/08 - Public to get say on flood risk maps - thetelegraph.com
• 07/01/08 - St. Clair County OKs flood prevention district; moves toward
  sales tax - bnd.com
• 07/01/08 - $34 million Wood River levee upgrades to begin - bnd.com

April-June 2008:

• Articles include:
• 06/24/08 - Urgency of levee fixes reinforced by flooding - bnd.com
• 06/19/08 - Madison County creates Flood Protection District to fix
  levees - bnd.com
• 06/19/08 - Madison County focuses on flood prevention -
  STLtoday.com
• 06/19/08 - Dunstan says flooding will be minor in Madison County -
  bnd.com
• 06/18/08 - Mississippi expected to crest Monday in region - bnd.com
• 06/18/08 - Utilities scramble as flooding delays coal supply - STLtoday
  .com
• 06/17/08 - Editorial: The flood this time - STLtoday.com
• 06/08/08 - Leaders tout levee efforts - thetelegraph.com
• 05/27/08 - Monroe County to ask voters whether they support sales tax
  05/27/08 - Before the Flood - STLToday.com
• to fix levees - bnd.com
• 05/12/08 - Army Corps: Condition of many levees a mystery -
  Associated Press
• 04/26/08 - City opposed to county-wide levee tax - Monroe County
  Clarion
• 04/05/08 - Turf battle may rise from levee project - Granite City Press
  -Record
• 04/09/08 - Columbia opposes sales tax for levees - bnd.com
• 04/02/08 - Sterman Testifies on Flood Map Issue Before House
  Subcommittee-Congressman Jerry Costello Press Release

January-March 2008:

• Articles include:
• 03/31/08 - Flooding revives debate over levees - STLToday.com
• 03/29/08 - The flood factor - Edwardsville Journal
• 03/11/08 - County takes look at levees - edwardsville.com
• 03/08/08 - Contracts awarded in levee restoration effort - The
  Telegraph
• 03/05/08 - Metro-east officials talk with Durbin on levees - Belleville
  News-Democrat
• 03/02/08 - Task force working on levee problem - The Telegraph
• 03/02/08 - Depending on Durbin - bnd.com
• 03/02/08 - 4 firms hired to plan $180 million levee project - bnd.com
• 02/29/08 - Metro-east leaders learn more about $180 million needed
  forlevees - bnd.com
• 02/26/08 - St. Clair County OKs $1.25 million for levee planning
   - bnd.com
• 02/25/08 - Premier 370 buildings are on hold awaiting FEMA's OK
   - STLToday.com
• 02/21/08 - When the levees break - STLToday.com
• 02/20/08 - Fighting floods and politics - bnd.com
• 02/10/08 - Levee repair: Metro-east faces major challenge - bnd.com
• 02/03/08 - No way out of this sales tax - bnd.com

August-December 2007:

• Articles include:
• 12/12/07 - Work begins on Chain of Rocks levee berms - Belleville News Democrat
• 12/07/07 - Repairs on Metro East Levees May Mean Tax Hikes - STLToday.com
• 12/07/07 - Sauget sees opportunity in Sauget - STLToday.com
• 12/07/07 - Investment in Southwestern Illinois continues to grow - STLToday.com
• 08/23/07 - More may need flood insurance - STLToday.com