GLIN==> Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Corps Detroit to use $41 million in stimulus funds


DETROIT - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces its
role in executing the nation's "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009" with about $41million in stimulus funding.

Funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program will be used
throughout the Great Lakes area for several projects. These projects include
dredging and structural repair work at federal harbors and rivers throughout
the region, work on the Fox River dams in Wisconsin, and a flood damage
reduction study for Ecorse "Creek" River in Michigan.

"We're looking forward to being able to contribute to the nation's economic
well-being by putting Americans back to work through this critical funding
package for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers especially in the Detroit
District area," said Lt. Col. James Davis, district engineer, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Detroit District.

The dredging projects totaling more than $7.8 million will include shallow
draft and deep draft harbors throughout Michigan and Wisconsin. Specific
harbors will be:
	Grand Haven Harbor, Mich. 	$255,000
	Harbor Beach Harbor, Mich. 	$900,000
	Holland Harbor, Mich.	$306,000
	Inland Route, Mich	$548,000
	Kewaunee Harbor, Wis. 	$1,430,000
	Little Lake Harbor, Mich. 	$322,000
	Ludington Harbor, Mich.	$950,000
	Manitowoc Harbor, Wis.  	$508,000
	Saginaw River, Mich.	$500,000
	St Joseph Harbor, Mich. 	$741,000
Sturgeon Bay Harbor & Lake Michigan Ship Canal, Wis.  	$1,357,000

The navigation structural repair projects totaling more than $21.5 million
will focus primarily on three harbors in Michigan and Wisconsin. Specific
harbors include:
	Petoskey Harbor, Mich. 	$4,000,000
	Saugatuck Harbor, Mich. 	$10,000,000
	Sturgeon Bay Harbor, Wis. 	$7,500,000 

Work on the Fox River Flood Control project, totaling about $6 million,
includes repairing four specific dams (Cedars, Little Chute, Rapide Croche,
and De Pere) in the Fox River system that have been assigned Dam Safety
Action Classification II dams. A DSAC II rating is the second highest
critical failure rating based on nationwide evaluations by the Corps. Funding
will complete construction repairs necessary to take the dams off the DSAC II
list. 

Additional funding is scheduled for maintenance at the Soo Locks in Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich., and management activities at some confined disposal
facilities.

 President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 in February.  The act appropriates $4.6 billion for the Corps' Civil
Works Program. The legislation is intended to stimulate recovery of the U.S.
economy.  The expectation of the President and Congress is that funds
provided in this legislation will be quickly put to work and spent in a
manner that is transparent and accountable to the American people. 

The $4.6 billion is distributed nationally in the following program accounts:
*	Operation and Maintenance
$2.075 billion
*	Construction							$2
billion
*	Mississippi River and Tributaries
$375 million
*	Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP)	$100
million
*	Investigations							$25
million
*	Regulatory Program
$25 million

Economists estimate that Corps Recovery Act projects will create or maintain
nationwide approximately 57,400 direct construction industry jobs and an
additional 64,000 indirect and induced jobs in firms supplying or supporting
the construction and the businesses that sell goods and services to these
workers and their families.

Closer to home, the Detroit District projects are expected to generate
approximately 385 direct jobs and approximately 835 indirect jobs within the
District's region.

Nationally, the Corps' list of Recovery Act-funded Civil Works projects
released today includes approximately 178 construction projects, 892
Operation and Maintenance projects, 45 Mississippi River and Tributaries
projects, 67 Investigations projects, and nine projects under FUSRAP.  	    

Regulatory Program funds are distributed to Corps districts based upon
workload.  All projects on the lists have received appropriated funds in
prior years' Energy and Water Development Appropriations acts.  No project on
the lists is a new start.

The projects selected represent a set of productive investments that will
contribute to economic development and aquatic ecosystem restoration.  The
projects will achieve the purposes of the Recovery Act to commence
expenditures quickly by investing in infrastructure that will provide long
term economic and environmental benefits to the nation.  Moreover, the
projects are fully consistent with the President's direction to ensure that
Recovery Act funds are spent responsibly and transparently.
 
The projects also meet the five criteria enumerated in the Congressional
report accompanying the Recovery Act, namely that the projects: 
*	Be obligated and executed quickly, 
*	Result in high, immediate employment, 
*	Have little schedule risk, 
*	Be executed by contract or direct hire of temporary labor, 
*	Complete a project phase, a project, an element, or will provide a
useful service that does not require additional funding. 

Recovery Act funds will be used to complete increments of work on previously
started projects and in some cases to complete such projects.  

The projects released today are distributed very broadly across the United
States.  The distribution of selected projects spreads the employment and
other economic benefits across the nation.

For more information about the Corps' role in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act visit our website at www.lre.usace.army.mil.
                                                  	        --30--



Cassandra Kardeke
Public Affairs Office
US Army Corps of Engineers - Detroit District
313-226-4681