Richmond – Delegate David Englin (D-45) announced today that he has filed legislation for the 2009 session of the Virginia General Assembly that would authorize the Commonwealth of Virginia Treasury Board to issue up to $100 million in bonds to be used for flood mitigation infrastructure projects throughout the state. Englin’s House Bill 1758, also called the Virginia Flood Mitigation Bond Act, would allow local governments to apply for up to $10 million each in matching funds for projects to prevent flooding.
“Both the Huntington and Belle View neighborhoods in the Fairfax County part of the 45th District have been devastated by flooding in recent years,” said Englin. “But whether we want to dredge Cameron Run on a regular basis or build flood walls and levees, the various options before us are quite expensive. For example, the Huntington flood wall proposal presented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would cost about $20 million.”
Englin’s plan would leverage Virginia’s triple A bond rating to pay half the cost of these projects, up to $10 million per locality, making it more feasible for local governments to move forward in a timely manner.
“Between VDOT, Fairfax County, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we’ve studied the problem to death, and now it’s time to act to protect our community,” said Englin.
Englin noted that flooding is a problem that affects communities in many parts of Virginia, and that his previous successful efforts to address flood-related issues have enjoyed strong bipartisan support. In 2007, Englin championed a bill requiring the government to notify homeowners when FEMA changes floodplain maps in ways that affect their homes. The legislation passed with near unanimous bipartisan approval.
Delegate David Englin is currently serving his second term in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he represents the 45th District, which includes parts of the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Arlington County. He was first elected in November 2005 and won re-election in November 2007 with more than 64 percent of the vote. A Democratic Whip, he serves on the Privileges and Elections Committee, and the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee. For more information, visit www.davidenglin.org.
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