"Illinois taxpayers receive less federal funding per dollar of federal taxes paid compared to almost every state in the union. In 2005, Illinois citizens received approximately 75 cents back from the federal coffers for every dollar paid in federal taxes. This ranks the state 45th nationally and represents a slight increase over the past 15 years, when Illinois received just 72 cents on the dollar.

"As a donor state, it is even more important for me to advocate for vital projects that will improve our communities and the daily lives of our friends and neighbors.

"Equally important is fiscal accountability. As such, I am more than happy to release my project requests every spring to my constituents and furthermore, am proud to put my name on every project I sponsored. Transparency and sunshine is the best disinfectant to wasteful spending requests."


Congressman Peter J. Roskam

Congressman Peter J. Roskam

FY2010 Appropriations Requests

$48,900 for Hanover Park Police Department Rapid Response to School Violence

Hanover Park Police Department

2121 W. Lake Street

Hanover Park, IL 60133

This funding is needed to equip the Hanover Park Police Department to better be able to respond to threats of school violence, particularly in light of the recent and sudden increase in teen and gang shootings.  The Hanover Park Police Department plans to enhance its response to school violence capabilities through purchase of equipment, training, and realistic exercises.  This training would be used for all sworn department members in a series of simulated situations of police response to active shooters in schools.  Included in the request is funding for purchase of training weapons, and tactical equipment, and armored security gear for use in both drills and actual incident response.  The Hanover Park Police Department has demonstrated a willingness to be a regional resource, and has positioned itself to provide mutual aid to surrounding municipalities and even other states.  The Department’s School Familiarization Program was featured in a June 2008 Law and Order article, and has served as a model for other departments across the country.

$75,000 for Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Domestic Violence Program

Advocate Health Care

2025 Windsor Drive

Oakbrook, IL 60523

With the growing numbers of reported domestic violence in DuPage County and throughout Illinois’ 6^th Congressional district, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (AGSH) seeks to further strengthen and expand its domestic violence program to ensure that current and expected needs are met.  In addition, with this funding AGSH will be able to expand its collaborative efforts with local police departments to include Lombard and Wheaton, complementing its current interaction with Downers Grove.  Additionally, AGSH will enhance training both internally and for local agencies that serve as strategic points of entry: emergency departments, local police departments, and faith-based organizations.  The federal government has recognized the serious public health threat that domestic violence poses to society through its Healthy People 2010 objectives, and the federal government has sought and is seeking a reduction in the rate of physical assault by current or former intimate partners.  AGSH seeks to help achieve this important federal objective.  This project meets the objectives of the Bureau of Justice Assistance by encouraging the development and implementation of strategies to reduce and prevent crime and violence, drawing in community participation, and providing technical assistance.

$675,000 for Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Atmospheric Detection Equipment      

Glencoe Department of Public Safety

675 Village Court

Glencoe, Illinois  60022

On behalf of Bartlett, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Hanover Park, Mount Prospect, Roselle, Streamwood, and Villa Park.

The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team (EST) is a mutual aid organization that is responsible for law enforcement coverage of 68 member towns with a total population of approximately 1.8 million residents.  In Illinois’ 6^th Congressional District, the acquisition of this equipment will directly benefit the municipalities of Bartlett, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Hanover Park, Mount Prospect, Roselle, Streamwood, and Villa Park.  This funding will be used to acquire atmospheric Detection Equipment for the NIPAS EST mutual aid response trained officers.  Member Police Departments and the NIPAS EST have identified a lacking atmospheric detection capability.  Atmospheric detection equipment is needed to allow NIPAS law enforcement officers the ability to respond to crimes or other incidents involving hazardous environments, explosive devices, arson materials, and narcotics.  NIPAS will administer this program which will provide coverage for 68 member communities in the counties of Lake, Cook, DuPage, McHenry and Will Counties.  Ensuring that NIPAS officers have the Atmospheric detection technology they need will: protect police officers who are the first to respond to Hazmat related accidents/crime scenes and methamphetamine related crime scenes; decrease the response time of officers to hazmat accidents/crime scenes; increase public safety, and provide valuable atmospheric samples that can later be used for criminal prosecutions.  This shared resource will leverage taxpayer dollars toward a more efficient procurement of this atmospheric detection equipment.

$650,000 for the Gas Technology Institute

Advanced Power Generation Unit for Military Applications

The Gas Technology Institute

1700 S. Mount Prospect Road
Des Plaines, IL 60018

In partnership with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the Gas Technology Institute will use this funding to develop an advanced power generation unit for military applications.  The unit developed as a result of this research project will have dual-use applications as military or commercial portable power or vehicle auxiliary power units (APU).  The novel fuel cell power unit is highly efficient, clean, and very quiet.  GTI will work with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to develop and validate the performance, efficiency, and emissions of this new power generation unit and identify applications that address the needs of Army Technology Objectives ATO related to reduced energy consumption and increased carried energy density for power systems.  This technology will also have commercial applications for commercial vehicle auxiliary power units (e.g., to address anti-idling laws) and back-up power systems for improved reliability.  Vehicles that sit and idle for extended periods of time, such as long haul trucks and transit and school busses, currently use nearly 1.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually (during idling).  In addition, the military has specialized needs for quiet power systems for field deployment for individual soldiers, vehicles, and other remote power requirements. This high-risk, high-impact technology offers the promise of substantially reducing the capital cost of fuel cell-based power systems by avoiding the use of expensive, foreign-sourced precious metals such as platinum that are common in current fuel cell power systems.

$4,000,000 for the Helmets to Hardhats Program

Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment

815 16th Street NW, Suite 600

Washington, DC 20006

The Helmets to Hardhats program is a valuable one that serves the members of the armed forces in transitioning from active duty, the National Guard, or Reserves into skilled employment in the construction industry.  Most career opportunities utilizing the program are connected to federally-approved apprenticeship training programs. This training is usually provided by trade organizations at no or minimal cost to the servicemember.  This program even provides the extensive training that is sometimes necessary for military personnel without prior experience in the building and construction trades.  In fact, most of the servicemembers that are successfully placed start with virtually no experience in their chosen field.  All participating trade organizations conduct three to five year “earn-while-you-learn” apprenticeship training programs that teach veterans everything necessary to become a construction industry professional with a specialization in a particular craft.  Because these apprenticeship programs are regulated and approved at both the Federal and State levels, veterans can utilize their Montgomery GI bill benefits to supplement their income while learning a valuable skill.  The program creates valuable links to ideal careers for guardsmen and reservists, and it helps to smooth the transition into a valuable and sustainable career that lessens the time that a veteran-in-transition will be dependent on other services.  The Helmets to Hardhats program in Illinois is the most innovative in the nation, offering job placement assistance in dozens of fields. Through the leadership of the Illinois Teamsters, Helmets to Hardhats hosted the first-ever Chicago-area veterans’ job fair in August 2007. Over 400 veterans were placed with job training, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities as a result. To date, more than 39,000 veterans have been placed with jobs nationally.

$3,500,000 for Big Bend Lake Reservoir Expansion, Des Plaines River, IL

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chicago District

111 N. Canal Street, Suite 600

Chicago, IL 60606-7206

Funding for this project would be used to continue Phase I of the authorized Des Plaines River Project.  Specifically, construction will move forward on the expansion of Big Bend Lake and lowering the normal lake level to obtain an additional 587 acre-feet of storage.  Material excavated from the expansion must be removed from the site. Two storm sewer lines, which currently empty into Big Bend Lake, a 96-inch and 24-inch, will be rerouted directly to the Des Plaines River.  Recurrent flooding along the Des Plaines River causes an estimated average annual damage of more than $25 million (69% traffic damages, 20% residential damages, 8% commercial/industrial/public damages, 3% emergency services costs).  Statutory authorization for this project is provided in the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-53), and a Project Cooperation Agreement has been signed by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

$300,000 for Solar Lighting for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, IL

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

3S580 Naperville Road

Wheaton, IL 60189

Funding for this project would be used to install an on-grid solar panel energy collection system to provide power for lighting of one of the entire Danada Forest Preserve Campuses.  The Danada Forest Preserve is a high visibility public facility that is used for meetings, wedding events, youth equestrian programs and a soon to be visitor center with native plant demonstration gardens.  This campus is home to the Danada House, an equestrian facility, and staff offices.  The lighting project is necessary to facilitate night programming while improving safety and security.  The solar lighting project would be an educational component that would tie well into the sustainability initiatives currently being proposed for the entire facility.  Additionally, the project would serve as a helpful demonstration of solar technology and capacity in the Chicagoland region. 

$250,000 for a Green Roof for the DuPage County Administration Building

DuPage County

421 N. County Farm Road

Wheaton, IL 60187

The objective for implementation of Green Roof Technology is to reduce energy costs for county campus facilities and to promote and implement new environmental technology.  The Jack T. Knuepfer Administration Building roof is currently leaking and is in great need of repair.  The roof has been identified to be structurally sound to support a low profile vegetated Green Technology roof system.  With the installation of a green roof, the R value, or thermal resistance will increase, thereby contributing to cooler roof temperatures in the summer months, decreasing solar loading effects which transfer heat into the building, ultimately resulting in considerable energy savings, which is good for the environment and taxpayers.

$25,000,000 for the McCook Reservoir in the

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chicago District

111 N. Canal Street, Suite 600

Chicago, IL 60606-7206

In FY 2010, funding will be used to continue on-going design and construction of the McCook Reservoir.  The McCook Reservoir is currently under construction, and when completed will have a total capacity of 10 billion gallons, provide more than $90 million per year in benefits to 3.1 million people in 37 communities, protecting 1,240,000 million structures.  The District is proceeding with planning, design and ultimately construction of the Thornton Reservoir under the Section 211 provision of the 2007 WRDA.  This provision will allow the District to complete the project, seek reimbursement for the federal share, and bring the flood protection and CSO storage benefits to 556,000 people in 15 communities by 2014.  Completing the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs and bringing them fully on-line is crucial to local communities, the health of Lake Michigan and its tributaries, and to the economic development of the region. Without timely completion of the project, communities will face decreased drinking water allocations, significant decreases in water quality and thousands of homes will be vulnerable to flooding.  In fact, this project will provide more than $130 million per year in benefits to over 3 million Illinois residents and once complete will protect over 1.3 million structures from flooding.  The McCook and Thornton Reservoir projects are a key component of the Chicago Underflow Plan (CUP), the flood control element of the District’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP).  TARP is the long-term comprehensive flood pollution control solution for Chicago and its 51 surrounding communities, and includes a series of underground tunnels and storage reservoirs designed to address combined sewer overflow discharges.  This system has been enormously effective in achieving its goal as evidenced by the elimination of 85% of the combined sewage pollution in a 325 square mile area.  The McCook Reservoir project is authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-676).

$5,000,000 for the Chicago Sanitary& Ship Canal Dispersal Barriers

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chicago District

111 N. Canal Street, Suite 600

Chicago, IL 60606-7206

Historically, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River were separated naturally by a landmass, but since the completion of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, aquatic species can move freely between the two water systems.  This dispersal barrier is needed to keep the invasive species Asian Carp from reaching Lake Michigan and infesting the larger Great Lakes ecosystem.  A temporary dispersal barrier (Barrier I) has been operating for nearly seven years, and construction of a permanent barrier (Barrier IIA) will be completed this year.  Funding in the amount of $5.0 million is needed to operate Barrier I, complete construction of Barrier II, and prepare designs for making Barrier I permanent.  This project is authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-114).

$192,500 for the Tubeway Drive Storm Water Lift Station Rehabilitation Project

Village of Carol Stream

500 North Gary Avenue

Carol Stream, IL 60188

The Tubeway Drive Storm Water Lift Station is 35 years old, and is showing signs of corrosion and is at the end of its useful life.  Under this rehabilitation project, the lift station will be totally replaced with new more efficient pumps, valving, backup systems and structures.  Replacing the station in a timely manner will ensure storm water flows are effectively managed, preventing flood damage losses.  Carol Stream will provide a 45% commitment of matching funds.

$255,000 for the Lombard Gatz Pond Outfall Sewer Project

Village of Lombard

255 E. Wilson Avenue

Lombard, IL 60148

Funding for this project will be used for installation of approximately 13,000 linear feet of storm sewers, ranging in size from 30” to 66” diameter pipes, in order to divert storm water from existing combined storm and sanitary sewers in the subject watershed.  This project will remove storm water flows from entering Combined Sanitary and Storm Sewers, thereby reducing the chances of Combined Sewer Overflows.  Lombard will commit to a much larger share of the total project cost than the required 45% local match.

$225,000 for Elk Grove Village Sanitary Sewer Lining Large Industrial Mains

Elk Grove Village

901 Wellington Avenue

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Elk Grove Village has undertaken an innovative sanitary sewer lining program to extend the life of its aging infrastructure, reduce ground water infiltration, reduce energy consumption at lift stations, and reduce the amount of wastewater to be treated.  The improved infrastructure will also ensure uninterrupted service to industrial, manufacturing and telecommunication facilities located in the Business Park, the largest contiguous industrial park in the country.  The proposed improvement provides for lining of approximately 14,000 lineal feet of 15, 18, 21, 24 and 30 inch diameter sewer.  Elk Grove Village will commit to a much larger share of the total project cost than the required 45% local match.

$1,500,000 for the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network’s Center for Brain Research

Alexian Brothers Healthcare

3040 Salt Creek Lane

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Alexian Brothers Hospital System is a full scale research and clinical enterprise. The system is expanding the Alexian Brothers Center for Brain Research, which will conduct cutting edge research in the area of diagnostic screenings, with the goal of being able to better differentiate between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  Through the Center for Brain Research’s applied research and treatment programs, the Center will be able to provide better services to military personnel and returning combat veterans suffering from TBI, depression, and PTSD.  It will provide our returning servicemembers with a new level of care, more appropriately and swiftly directing treatment. 

$68,000 for Easter Seals Assistive Technology Hardware and Software

Easter Seals DuPage

830 S. Addison Avenue

Villa Park, IL 60181

Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region (Easter Seals DFVR) has been at the forefront of serving and enriching the lives of those with disabilities and their communities for over 50 years.  Children with disabilities who are unable to communicate through speech and/or who have limited mobility and movement are extremely limited in their ability to interact with the world around them.  Access to Assistive Technology devices and software is unleashing the potential for these children to live, learn, communicate and play in their communities.  Computerized communication devices, special computer switches, modified keyboards, and software designed to aid students to learn and participate in the classroom are needed for children with disabilities and access to these devices and learning how to maximize utilization is vital to the work of therapists, teachers, and families who are charged with teaching these children.  Easter Seals will use this funding for its Assistive Technology Program to maximize outcomes.

$1,500,000 for Access Community Health Network Career Laddering

Access Community Health Network

1501 S. California Avenue

Chicago, IL 60608

This funding will be used by ACCESS to create an innovative career training and advancement framework for healthcare employees.  ACCESS employs close to 450 entry level workers, the majority of whom have no college education and many of whom are recruited because their “peer” status is an asset in helping medically underserved patients enter and navigate the health system.  ACCESS is proposing an integrated strategy for employee career advancement by deploying two tandem strategies: developing career ladders with internal training programs; and providing scholarships for employees that show educational promise, combined with mentoring to integrate educational attainment into career advancement at ACCESS.  The majority of these 450 workers are minorities, many with families, and some who are single parents working two jobs to survive in the current economy.   Most have not had the resources to consider pursuing their education, and for those who have had formal training (such as medical assistants), pursuit of a four-year degree has been beyond reach.  This funding will go towards enriching our health workforce and creating opportunities for improvement and advancement for workers in the healthcare field.

$150,000 for the DuPage County Start the Heart Campaign

DuPage County Health Department

111 N. County Farm Road

Wheaton, IL 60187

The leading cause of death in DuPage County is Heart Disease.  While many of these deaths are attributed to chronic disease, there is an opportunity to reduce deaths related to sudden cardiac arrest.  Currently, one person dies every two minutes from sudden cardiac death, and the national survival rate is only 6% to 7%.  Some areas of the country have seen positive trends increasing the survival rate through public health campaigns that focus on increasing the numbers of individuals trained in CPR and creating greater access to Public Access Defibrillators (AEDs).  Survival rates double in locations with access to AEDs.  The Start the Heart Campaign is a collaborative, community-based partnership with the Midwest Heart Foundation (a group established by area physicians), local governments, education, and healthcare leaders.  The goals are to increase the number of citizens who are trained in CPR and to increase the public access to AEDs.  The healthcare costs related to survivors of delayed defibrillation are very high as these individuals require long rehabilitative therapy or long term skilled care.  Costs related to families that lose mothers or fathers prematurely can be recognized in many social programs that support unplanned loss of income.  Funding for this project will help create access to AEDs throughout area communities.

$205,000 for the Elgin Community College Health Careers Center of Excellence

Elgin Community College

1700 Spartan Drive

Elgin, IL 60123

Elgin Community College (ECC) is in the midst of creating a Health Careers Center of Excellence.  Funding for this project will be used for curriculum research and development and the acquisition of instructional equipment.  Sixty percent of the nation’s new registered nurses and the majority of allied health professionals receive their training through community colleges.  We are facing a healthcare workforce shortage, but ECC every semester has had to turn away more applicants than it is able to enroll.  The ECC Health Careers Center of Excellence will help meet this growing need.

$250,000 for Revitalization of South Villa Corridor

Village of Villa Park

20 S. Ardmore Avenue

Villa Park, IL 60181

The Village of Villa Park is in the process of revitalizing the South Villa Avenue corridor.  Funding for this project will specifically be used in the business district of the village to provide aesthetic enhancements and redevelopment opportunities to promote and attract increased economic development activity.

$20,000,000 for the Metra UP-West Line

METRA

547 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL 60661

Metra’s Union Pacific West (UP-W) Line project will build upon the recent extension to Elburn and create needed capacity with new corridor improvements, while continuing to deliver safe, reliable and affordable service to Metra riders.  The UP-W Line extends from Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago nearly 44 miles west to Elburn.  Along that corridor, it serves 18 outlying stations within Kane, DuPage and Cook Counties.  The Line currently offers 59 commuter trains per weekday, 29 inbound and 30 outbound, with passengers making approximately 30,000 daily trips.  The substantial residential growth in this region is fueling a corresponding demand for increased service.  As an example, the Elburn area, the recent recipient of a UP-W Line extension, is projected to grow by more than 650 percent between 2000 and 2030.  Correspondingly, employment in the UP-W corridor is expected to increase more than 100 percent.  These authorized improvements will allow Metra to offer UP-W line commuters more express trains and more reverse commute trains.  Federal funding is necessary to complete the upgrades that will allow this project to realize the benefits promised.  Metra depends on federal funding to ensure that it continues to provide service to more than 1.6 million riders.  This project is authorized by SAFETEA-LU (Public Law 109-59), and received $4.8 million in FY09 funding.

$20,000,000 for the Metra STAR Line

METRA

547 W. Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, IL 60661

Metra’s proposed STAR Line goes beyond providing a service to a single corridor or portion of the suburban areas.  Rather, the STAR Line establishes key rail connection throughout the northwest, west, and southwest suburbs and also offers the basis for expanded suburban rail service in the future.  Under the proposed route, the STAR line would link such major economic and business centers as Navistar, Lucent Technologies, BP Amoco, Tellabs, Nicor, the Louis Joliet mall, the Prairie Stone business campus (home to Sears Holdings), Woodfield Mall, AT&T, Motorola and O’Hare Airport.  The STAR Line creates a long-needed alternative to the automobile for nearly 1.2 million employees who commute to work at businesses located along the alignment.  It also provides an effective transportation option to nearly 1.6 million residents who today live in an area chronically plagued by highway congestion.  By linking nearly 100 communities in the southwest, west, and northern suburbs, the STAR Line fills a critical void in inter-suburban travel.  Federal funding is necessary to complete the upgrades that will allow this project to realize the benefits promised.  Metra depends on federal funding to ensure that it continues to provide service to more than 1.6 million riders.  This project is authorized by SAFETEA-LU (Public Law 109-59), and received $4.8 million in FY09 funding.

$760,000 for Pace Suburban Bus Alternatives Analysis

of “J-Route” Bus Rapid Transit Project

Pace Suburban Bus

550 W. Algonquin Road

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Pace will use this funding to perform the federally required Alternatives Analysis study on the proposed “J-Route” corridor transit project.  The alternatives analysis study will determine the preferred mode (bus/rail), specific alignment, design and capital and operating costs. Once constructed, this project will create a high-speed transit option for commuters between Schaumburg, O’Hare Airport, Oakbrook and Naperville.  Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), if selected as the preferred mode, is based on signal priority for buses at traffic signals along arterial routes, roadway improvements like exclusive bus lanes and “queue jump” lanes, real-time travel information signs at significant stops along the route using the Intelligent Bus System already installed on all Pace buses, and dissemination of real-time travel information to passengers, dispatchers, planners, and customer relations staff using a variety of electronic media.  The project will provide a much-needed new transit option for residents, commuters and workers in DuPage and northern Cook Counties. The service would allow faster, more reliable service on congested suburban streets.  This project received $237,500 in FY09.


Congressman Roskam Obatained Earmarks for FY09 can be found here.
Congressman Roskam Obtained Earmarks for FY08 can be found here.