Reprint from the Progress Times - May 9, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Levee project gets Homeland Security boost

 

Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 has been awarded a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to fund construction of 22 miles of levee barrier, aimed at improving flood protection in Hidalgo County and supporting the DHS mission of protecting our borders.

Construction of 10 segments of levee throughout Hidalgo County will be completed with this grant. HCDD No. 1 shall perform the work with federal oversight.

“The final cooperative agreement from DHS is what we’ve been waiting for to get this project started,” said Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas III. “But most importantly, 22 miles of our levees are going to be fixed, putting us closer to the end goal of rehabilitating the entire river levee system. The people and the future economic vitality of Hidalgo County are safer today than they were yesterday thanks to this federal grant and the open-minded attitudes of all who worked on it. We’re glad this agreement is finally in place and that we can get on with the construction.”

Precinct 2 Commissioner Hector “Tito” Palacios said the HCDD No. 1 would be putting up a non-federal share to complete the earthen levee system.

“We are pursuing legislation efforts to recoup monies through reimbursement,” Commissioner Palacios said. “From the local level to the federal level, we all have a stake in making sure our levees are strong enough to hold the floodwaters from a hurricane. We all have a duty to the residents of Hidalgo County and the rest of the state and the county to make sure trade and commerce and lives aren’t interrupted. We’re upholding that responsibility together.”