Local officials look to stimulus package for flood relief

As the waters rise across the suburbs, officials are lobbying for money from President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan to upgrade the region's infrastructure and hopefully prevent re-occurring floods.

"We have a lot of projects we would like to do," says Tony Wolff, chief engineer for the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.

Counties, suburbs and commissions like Wolff's have a laundry list of sewer and river or stream projects aimed at preventing basements, roads and towns from filling with water during re-occurring spells of prolonged rains. Those wish lists are now waiting for approval by state and federal agencies set to divvy up billions of dollars for such projects.

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For example, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency now has $180 million dedicated to wastewater infrastructure repairs and expansions thanks to Obama's stimulus plan. An early tally of where that money is going could be set in the coming weeks.

Agency spokeswoman Maggie Carson said the requests have been substantial.

"It is not going to solve all of our problems, but it is going to move us forward on projects significantly," Carson says.

In addition to that money, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been allocated $2 billion for flood control projects and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Services has been given $380 million for watershed improvements. The money has not yet been dolled out nationwide.

But local officials have their requests in.

For example, DuPage County has submitted proposals for a new research center and the removal of a dam on the east branch of the DuPage River.

Tony Charlton, DuPage's stormwater chief, says the projects will bring jobs in addition to preventing flooding in the region.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat who works to prevent Des Plaines River flooding, says that is why a considerable chunk of the money should go to the suburbs.

"We have properties that repeatedly flood," she said. "We can put people to work fixing that for good."