GLIN==> Corps Detroit to use $41 million in stimulus funds

Submitted by Cassandra Kardeke <cassandra.a.kardeke at usace.army.mil>

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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.
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