Letter to Hon. Deanne Criswell, Administrator to the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Durbin, Duckworth, LaHood, Bost, Bustos, Davis Urge FEMA To Review Levee Reimbursement Methodology Across Regions

Letter

Dear Administrator Criswell:

As Members of Congress representing levee-protected communities located along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in Illinois, we request your help in reviewing an important reimbursement issue pertaining to constituent drainage districts, including the Sny Island Levee Drainage District (Sny).

The 2019 flood season was the wettest year on record in the Midwest and Illinois was placed under a major disaster declaration (4461-DR-IL) to assist in recovery and repairs to local infrastructure. During this flood season, Sny's pump stations were inundated with storm water, which resulted in significantly higher costs to ensure that surrounding towns were protected from this historic flooding.

It has been brought to our attention that various FEMA regions may be interpreting or calculating Public Assistant reimbursements differently with regards to pumping costs. As such, Sny is concerned it could be losing out on crucial reimbursement funds.

While we appreciate the efforts of FEMA Region 5 to engage with our offices on this matter, FEMA headquarters is best equipped to identify whether there are any differences between regions regarding reimbursement policy.

Following a review, our offices respectfully request a briefing from your staff on the findings of this matter. Should you need more information, or if we can be of assistance, please contact Senator Durbin's office.

Sincerely,