Press Releases

Davis Leads Bipartisan Group in Urging the Army Corps of Engineers to Speed Up Maintenance of the LaGrange Lock and Dam Ahead of the Fall Harvest

The Illinois Waterway is a critical artery for the Illinois agricultural economy and the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture globally

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Washington, D.C., July 28, 2020 | comments

U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the Illinois delegation yesterday sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James regarding the closure and maintenance of the LaGrange Lock and Dam in the Illinois Waterway. The Illinois Waterway is a critical artery for the Illinois agricultural economy and the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture globally. It allows for a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

 

The letter states:

 

“We write today regarding the Illinois Waterway 2020 Maintenance Closure and the importance of its timely completion. At the closure’s outset, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) informed stakeholders LaGrange’s expected reopening would be September 30th, 2020. In light of recent updates, the Corps now expects completion later than scheduled and into October. Additionally, new discoveries at the Lockport Lock may necessitate future closures.

 

“While we appreciate that unforeseen issues arise during maintenance closures, delays in completion threaten the agricultural economies of our congressional districts and require your utmost attention to avoid. Estimates for this Fall’s harvest indicate large crop yields. As the local farmers in our districts rely upon the Illinois Waterway to ship crops to market, any further delay in completion of the maintenance could impact the marketing of a farmer’s crop as well as reduce U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness in foreign markets.

 

“Given the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever the government should do all it can to promote certainty and economic growth. We ask that you prioritize completion of the maintenance to meet the original expected reopening and to avoid the need to induce future closures.

 

“Thank you for your attention to this request and know that we greatly appreciate the Corps’ efforts to maintain critical infrastructure vital to our districts.”

 

You can find a copy of the letter here.

 

Also signing the letter are Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Congressmen Mike Bost (IL-12), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) and Darin LaHood (IL-18).

 

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