The American Bottom Levee Project

   Shortly after officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency made their pronouncement in August 2007 that the levees protecting the American Bottom would lose their accreditation, the East West Gateway Council of Governments reached out to the law firm of Husch Blackwell LLP.   That’s because Husch Blackwell attorneys have specialized in levee and flood…

   After traveling some bumpy road with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Jon Omvig, the St. Louis office manager for AMEC, reports that things have smoothed out.   “The 408 process was not anticipated when we started the project and it added a wrinkle to the process,” Omvig said. “It clearly added some review time to…

   When the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council changed a major component of its levee restoration design from graded filters to seepage berms, it greatly expanded the amount of property that would be needed. And, it created a large project for a new member of the levee restoration project team of Bernardin, Lochmueller &…

   A little more than a year after stopping the countdown clock, the St. Louis Metro East Levee Issues Alliance has not only restarted the clock but is cautiously optimistic that the project can be completed in 2015, according to Rich Conner, the group’s chairman.   The Alliance is a grassroots organization made up of more…