Illinois EPA director announces $36,850 grant for McLeansboro residents to stabilize City Reservoir

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. --- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Director Doug Scott announced today that the Agency has approved $36,850 of grant money from its Priority Lake and Watershed Program for the Hamilton County city of McLeansboro, which will be used to stabilize 2,200 linear feet of shoreline on the McLeansboro City Reservoir, using rip-rap.  This process will help stop or slow erosion, thus preventing the lake from filling with sediment.  It is also a means of maintaining water clarity.

 

The grant is being provided through the Illinois EPA as part of Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act.  The purpose of the Illinois EPA's Section 319 Program is to work with local government and other organizations to protect water quality in Illinois through the control of non-point source pollution.  The program provides funds to implement projects that utilize cost-effective best management practices to protect Illinois' water resources.

 

"Such locally-based efforts make communities better places to live and work, improve the local economy and typify the basic premise of our Opportunity Returns initiative," said Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. 

 

"This grant from Governor Blagojevich and Illinois EPA will provide long-term improvement to the water quality of the McLeansboro City Reservoir and is much appreciated," said State Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton).

 

"The grant to help protect the Reservoir from the build-up of sedimentation will greatly benefit the citizens of McLeansboro," said State Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion).

 

"The project will assist McLeansboro in water quality protection to better select the best management practices to improve water quality at the McLeansboro City Reservoir," said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott.  "In the long run, this project should help the City implement the most cost effective water quality improvement projects possible."

 

Opportunity Returns is Governor Blagojevich's economic development plan designed to spur economic growth and create jobs in the region. The regional economic development plan is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois. Opportunity Returns contains tangible actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to business.  Funding of natural resources improvements, such as those awarded through the 319 Program, make Illinois a better place to live and work.

 

During his administration, Gov. Blagojevich has been committed to improving the environment for Illinois citizens.  During his 2006 State of the State address, the Governor proposed a plan to drastically reduce mercury emissions from power plants by 90 percent by June 30, 2009.  This ambitious plan to protect Illinois families from harmful mercury emissions will provide tougher standards than those proposed by the federal government.  And in an effort to protect the environment and simultaneously reduce pain at the pump for Illinois consumers, the governor also proposed giving consumers a $500 tax rebate for purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

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