Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, June 25, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) approved $15 million for a flood damage project in Kansas City, Missouri as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

"This project, complimenting others in the region, will help protect people and property from flood risk and keep employers and good jobs in Kansas City." Bond said.

Bond included language in the bill that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct a $14,987,000 ($9,742,000 federal) flood damage reduction project for the Swope Park Industrial Area.

This project will provide 500-year flood protection for the Swope Park Industrial Area with a floodwall approximately 2,000 meters in length. The industrial park, which is centered on the 75th Terrace, is a business park providing over 400 skilled manufacturing jobs to the urban economy which sustained severe flooding in the May 1990 Blue River flood. On the Blue River, this is the last large project to be initiated.

Bond's bipartisan legislation to modernize the Mississippi and Illinois River lock and dam system, was also included in WRDA. His locks measure authorizes $2.3 billion for seven new locks, including $1.46 billion for ecosystem restoration.

Bond, who chairs EPW's Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, said it is important to improve the aging lock and dam system in order to maintain the 1,000 miles of Missouri and Mississippi River shoreline and inland ports, which serve as Missouri’s arteries to world markets.

On Wednesday the EPW committee also passed the re-authorization of the Economic Development Administration Act (EDA). The agency provides grants for infrastructure and business development to help communities fight unemployment and in economically distressed areas.

Kit Bond is Missouri's senior Senator and served twice as Governor before continuing his service in his third term in the United States Senate.