Farmers Weekly Review

The State of Illinois closed today on the acquisition of a nearly 50-acre parcel of property in Will County needed for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a federal project designed to prevent invasive carp from accessing the Great Lakes.

The property, which includes riverbed access for the Brandon Road lock, was donated to the state by Midwest Generation LLC.

“Millions of people in the Great Lakes region rely on its ecosystem for their livelihoods and protecting it has been a top priority since I took office,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “After receiving the necessary assurances from the federal government, my administration acted quickly and formally acquired the land needed for construction. I thank Midwest Generation for their partnership in this project – their generous donation will benefit the Great Lakes region and nation for generations to come.”

In February, in response to the Trump Administration illegally withholding taxpayer dollars from Illinois, Governor Pritzker requested additional assurances from the federal government to uphold their financial commitments for the project.

On May 9, Governor Pritzker secured the needed commitments from the federal government to proceed with the real estate closing. The White House issued a memorandum expressing support for continuation of the project. After months of uncertainty around the withholding of federal infrastructure funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Trump Administration reversed course and offered the certainty required for the State of Illinois to continue as previously planned.

“Today’s closing on this key piece of property takes us another step closer to seeing the Brandon Road Interbasin Project become a reality,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “I want to thank Midwest Generation for its cooperation and patience in working with us to achieve this goal.”

“Invasive carp poses a real economic and environmental threat to one of our region’s most valuable resources, the Great Lakes. Completing the Brandon Road Project is one of the most effective ways we can address this threat and protect Illinois’ fresh water,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “After years of advocacy by the Illinois delegation, at both the federal and state levels, today marks a major milestone in the progress of the Brandon Road Project. Acquiring this land will allow the project to move forward and ensure our Great Lakes are protected for generations to come.”

“The Brandon Road Project is critical in protecting the Great Lakes’ exposure to invasive carp, a growing threat to our entire inland waterways system, our nation’s economy and to the countless Illinois communities and businesses that rely on strong and vibrant aquatic ecosystems,” said U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. “We have been working for years to advance this project and I’m glad to see Governor Pritzker taking necessary action to move construction forward. I’ll keep working with federal and state leaders to ensure Brandon Road continues to receive necessary support.”

Illinois has long played a leading role in advancing the Brandon Road project. Through responsible investment and diligent collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other Great Lakes partners, the state has facilitated project design and construction progress while ensuring Illinois does not carry the entire burden of a project that benefits the entire region and beyond.

“Governor Pritzker has always prioritized fiscal responsibility as well as critical economic development and environmental projects, so it’s no surprise that he went above and beyond to ensure that funding was guaranteed so we could see this critical Brandon Road project through,” said Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council Jen Walling. “He knows that the future of our precious Great Lakes, including the ecosystems and industries they support, is at stake, and his partnership and leadership helped make certain that we’d protect them for generations to come.”

“This is essential for protecting the Great Lakes, ensuring the long-term economic and environmental benefits of our regional waterways,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “I appreciate Governor Pritzker recognizing the need for moving this critical Brandon Road Project forward.”

Under the Biden administration, Congress appropriated $225 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Brandon Road project and Illinois secured an agreement on federal cost sharing that would significantly lower operation and maintenance costs and save Illinois taxpayers millions. However, after the Trump Administration cut off infrastructure funding from IDNR, the state sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reporting the closing on the riverbed parcel needed for the project was postponed pending funding assurance from the federal government.

Governor Pritzker has promised first and foremost to protect Illinois taxpayers from unnecessary financial burdens. The Trump Administration is continuing to withhold approximately $1.8 billion of Illinois taxpayers’ money. The State of Illinois continuously monitors access to these funds, and the governor will use every lever available to unlock these resources the state is owed, including how he did with the Brandon Road Infrastructure Project.