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Schneider, Durbin, Duckworth, Underwood Urge New Wisconsin Governor to Review Environmental Impact of Foxconn Construction Plan

February 15, 2019

Members of Congress cite worsening flooding in downstream communities in Des Plaines River Watershed in letter calling for reconsideration of waived environmental review

Today, U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) with Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) sent a letter to new Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers urging him to re-evaluate the environmental impact of proposed Foxconn construction and his state's decision to waive important environmental review of the development, which could have significant downstream effects on Lake County communities already vulnerable to flooding along the Des Plaines River.

"We ask that you submit forthcoming construction plans to stringent environmental review, especially with consideration to stormwater management, to mitigate any negative impact these facilities could have on communities already vulnerable to flooding. Economic development is a top priority in our region, and it does not have to come at the cost of environmental degradation," write the Members of Congress.

Foxconn is set to construct facilities in the headwaters of the Des Plaines River in Wisconsin. Local downstream communities in Lake County, Illinois have faced significant flooding in recent years, affecting more than 3,000 homes and causing millions of dollars in damage, which this project could exacerbate. The Lake County Board, the Lake County Storm Water Management Commission, and several Lake County towns have passed resolutions disapproving of the project, and the Illinois State Senate also adopted a resolution urging the State of Wisconsin to consider the serious environmental and public health implications of the development.

Under the previous administration of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, many environmental protections related to wetlands and water management were waived for the development, and Foxconn was offered an extensive set of incentives totaling more than $4 billion.

Governor Evers recently announced Wisconsin environmental officials will review air quality permits related to the project, which the letter mentions as "heartening."

Schneider, Durbin, and Duckworth raised similar concerns about the Foxconn development in a June 2018 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A signed copy of the letter is available online.

Full text of the letter is included below:

The Honorable Tony Evers

Governor of Wisconsin

Wisconsin State Capitol Building

115 East State Capitol

Madison, WI 53702

Dear Governor Evers:

Congratulations on your recent inauguration as Wisconsin's forty-sixth governor. As federal officials representing Illinois, we look forward to working with you on issues affecting our two states. In particular, we urge you to reconsider the state of Wisconsin waiving important environmental review for construction related to Foxconn's development in Mount Pleasant.

Foxconn is set to construct its facilities in the headwaters of the Des Plaines River Watershed. Downstream communities in Lake County, IL have already faced significant flooding in recent years, affecting more than 3,000 homes and causing millions of dollars in damages. We worry that river flooding would be compounded by any increased stormwater flow caused by the Foxconn development. In response, the Lake County Board, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, and several towns in Lake County passed resolutions disapproving of the project, and we voiced our own concerns in a June 2018 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The Illinois State Senate weighed in as well, adopting a resolution urging the State of Wisconsin to consider the serious environmental and public health implications of the development.

Under the premise that Foxconn would bring up to 13,000 direct jobs to the region your predecessor, Governor Scott Walker, offered an extensive set of incentives and infrastructure investments totaling more than $4 billion, including an agreement to waive important environmental protections related to wetlands and water management. Among these provisions was an allowance for Foxconn to divert millions of gallons of water from Lake Michigan, which many experts believe would violate the Great Lakes Compact because the diverted water would be used solely for industrial use. The state also agreed to allow the development to proceed without conducting an environmental impact study.

Recent press reports indicate that Foxconn may be backing out of significant parts of the project. We have been skeptical of this development from the beginning and Foxconn backpedaling from its initial offer has only deepened our concerns. Your recent comments about reviewing Foxconn's air quality permits were heartening. As you continue to evaluate proposals from Foxconn, we want to reiterate our concerns about the downstream impacts this development could have. We ask that you submit forthcoming construction plans to stringent environmental review, especially with consideration to stormwater management, to mitigate any negative impact these facilities could have on communities already vulnerable to flooding. Economic development is a top priority in our region, and it does not have to come at the cost of environmental degradation.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there are opportunities for us to work together.

Sincerely,