State grant freeze puts Danville dam removal funds on hold

DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A freeze on Illinois grants for park and forest preserve districts has put funding on hold for the removal of two dams in Danville over safety concerns.

Gov. Bruce Rauner suspended the grants indefinitely last week, as the state faces an estimate budget deficit of $1.6 billion.

The News-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1BtG8V5 ) reports multiple drownings have occurred at the dams in the last 20 years. The last was in 2003, when a 24-year-old University of Illinois graduate drowned. The dams slow water flow and create wide, deep pools of water.

Danville City Council passed a measure last year to remove the dams, with the state covering the cost estimated at more than $2.5 million.

Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer says he's worried the city could be held responsible if another accident happens at the dams.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com