U.S. House approves $15.5 million to fix levees

McALLEN — The U.S. House passed an appropriations bill late Thursday night that could mean $15.5 million for levee repair in the Rio Grande Valley.

“This has been going on for over 12 months, and I’m pleased with the amount they were willing to give us,” said Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes.

“It’s a great increase over what they’ve traditionally given to us. That’s why we’ve fallen so badly behind.”

This year the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission, which maintains the levees on the Rio Grande, ran on a construction budget of $2.7 million.

While the funding measure still needs to get through the Senate, if approved it would take a significant financial burden off Hidalgo County, which has committed $28 million to fixing a portion of the levees. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is scheduled to release its preliminary report on the levees Sept. 30, likely declaring the flood control structures unsound and registering most of the county a floodplain.

That prospect has caused near panic among local developers and business owners, who could be forced to spend untold sums purchasing flood insurance.

Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas said he was pleased with the bill.

“If we want to fix all our levees, it’s going to cost $80 million, but this is a start,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Valley representatives have tried to increase construction funding for the levees. Last year the congressional delegation pushed for $20 million but only got the House to agree to $6 million in an appropriations bill that was never approved by Congress.

Hinojosa, who along with Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, has been campaigning to increase IBWC funding for months, said he was more hopeful this time around.

“There is a new majority in Congress and my party is very well informed of the needs of the Valley,” Hinojosa said.

“They don’t want a repeat of what happened in New Orleans.”

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James Osborne covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4428.