State Sen. Sue Rezin announced March 28 that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $1,200,000 in Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) funds to the City of Marseilles, for the construction of a floodwall and a pumping station to protect the city’s north wastewater treatment plant. FEMA has also released $1,184,250 in PDM funds to the City of Ottawa, for the construction of new sections and upgrades to existing sections of a floodwall/levee system protecting the Ottawa Township High School and adjacent neighbors in the City of Ottawa from floodwater damage.
“Out of 12 communities that received federal dollars, four of them are members of our Illinois Valley Flood Resiliency Alliance,” State Sen. Sue Rezin said. “That speaks volumes to the value of our Flood Alliance. These are the positive things that can happen when we work together as one group.”
“I’m very pleased by this most recent news for Ottawa and Marseilles, and I appreciate the swift action taken by the DHS and FEMA personnel in response to the critical funding issues our region faces,” Congressman Adam Kinzinger said. “Again, I’m truly grateful to work with State Senator Sue Rezin, the entire Illinois Valley Flood Resiliency Alliance (IVFRA) and folks like Mike Sutfin, the Building and Zoning Manager for the City of Ottawa. Our area is prone to flooding, but with these funds and our collective efforts to keep our community safe, we can better prepare for and lessen the impact of future floods.”
“The Pre-Disaster Mitigation program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said Janet M. Odeshoo, deputy regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “These flood reduction measures will protect critical facilities in these communities from flood damage, lessening the financial impact on individuals and the communities when future flooding occurs in these areas.”
“The projects made possible by these grants will enable Marseilles and Ottawa to reduce flood impacts to their communities and, as a result, better protect the health and safety of their citizens,” said William P. Robertson, acting director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
PDM provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. The City of Marseilles will provide an additional $400,000 for their project, and the Ottawa High School will provide $394,750 in remaining funds for their project.
Last week, Sen. Rezin’s Flood Alliance announced that $687,062 in Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) funds would go to the Village of DePue for the construction of a floodwall and floodwater storage basin to protect a wastewater treatment plant and $365,428 in PDM funds would go to the City of Peru for the construction of a floodwall to protect the city’s east wastewater treatment plant.