EPA partners with Illinois representatives to develop water infrastructure funding list for Mero East area
(WO) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a comprehensive list of drinking-water, wastewater and flood-prevention infrastructure funding and projects for the Cahokia Heights/Metro East, Illinois, area.
At the request of Rep. Nikki Budzinski, EPA worked closely with more than 35 stakeholders to compile, for the first-time, information about how the communities have identified funding needs, accessed funding, and developed and completed projects.
Cahokia Heights is a town in Southern Illinois that faces numerous environmental challenges. Community advocates and residents raised their concerns to U.S. EPA, including their concerns about environmental justice.
“This matrix is one critical tool to address the flooding, wastewater and drinking water issues in the Metro East area,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “While these issues will not be solved overnight, knowing what funding and projects are available to the Metro East area is a crucial step in making progress.”
“For far too long, Metro-East residents have endured dangerous sewage flooding during rain storms because of dilapidated water infrastructure in the region. This is a public health crisis that has been decades in the making,” said Sen. Dick Durbin.
“My colleagues and I have worked alongside EPA to address these serious flooding concerns, as well as spoken directly to community leaders and residents. Today, we are launching a new ‘matrix’ to assist Metro-East communities in tracking federal investments allocated to improve water and flood-prevention infrastructure.”
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