SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley today announced that 85 communities throughout the state are receiving funding from the federal “IKE” Disaster Recovery Program to assist with water and sewer improvements and other critical public infrastructure needs. The $48 million in grants will support long term recovery efforts within Illinois communities that were substantially impacted by storms in 2008 that caused devastation and flooding throughout much of the Midwest.
“We are directing millions of dollars in federal disaster recovery funding to help residents and businesses devastated by the 2008 storms get back on their feet and begin to rebuild,” said Director Ribley. “By taking these steps, we’re continuing the state’s economic recovery and putting in place the building blocks for future economic growth.”
The $48 million in public infrastructure grant funds comes from the State’s IKE-Disaster Recovery Program, named for Hurricane IKE, the 2008 disaster that was one of the costliest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States. Illinois received a total of $169 million in federal disaster funds under the IKE Recovery program to assist communities within 41 Illinois counties recover from devastating floods and storms in 2008, and minimize the impact of future disasters.
Projects approved under the IKE-Public Infrastructure component of the program range from upgrades to water and sewer main lines, improvement to levees, pump stations, restoration of culverts, ditches, installation and/ or replacement of emergency power generators. These projects will help ensure that communities are equipped with the necessary infrastructure to mitigate future disaster-damage to residences and commercial buildings that can negatively impact the economic vitality of a community.
For additional information on the IKE Disaster Recovery Program, including eligibility criteria, please visit www.ildceo.net/disasterrecovery.
Source: illinois.gov
