[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S3076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ROAD CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to H.R. 
1129, just received from the House and at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 1129) to provide for the construction, 
     operation, and maintenance of an arterial road in St. Louis 
     County, Missouri.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 1129. This 
important legislation is necessary to provide for the construction, 
operation, and maintenance of an arterial road in the Lemay area of St. 
Louis County, MO. This road, the Lemay connector road, is the lynchpin 
of the long-term recovery of that community and will open several 
abandoned industrial sites to new industrial, commercial and retail 
development and create thousands of new much-needed jobs. The road was 
identified as the highest priority for redeveloping the area in a 
federally-funded study conducted by the Missouri Department of 
Transportation.
  Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I join my colleague, the senior 
Senator from Missouri, in supporting this much-needed legislation. Not 
only will the road revive the economy of the communities around Lemay, 
it will also support the restoration of brownfields sites, improve 
public safety, create new parks and riding trails, and provide other 
recreational opportunities. With all of these benefits, it is not 
surprising then that the bill has broad bipartisan support from every 
relevant State and local elected official and also here in the 
Congress. It has also been endorsed by the Missouri Department of 
Transportation, the local school district--Hancock Place School 
District and the local fire and police departments.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I vividly recall the devastation that was 
caused by the the flooding in 1993 and one of the areas that was 
hardest hit was the community of Lemay. In response to that tragedy, 
Congress enacted an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. As a 
new member of that committee, I worked to appropriate supplemental 
funds for HUD's community development grants to compensate homeowners 
for losses and to clear the area. Property acquired with the funds, 
however, was required to be maintained for uses consistent with open 
space, recreation or wetlands management. This was a one-time 
requirement, and no other property acquired using CDBG funds before or 
since the 1994 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act has carried 
similar deed restrictions. Furthermore, I want to assure my colleagues 
that we are not establishing any precedent by adopting this legislation 
in part because of the unique situation in which properties became deed 
restricted and also because exceptions have been made to allow for 
roads and public works development on deed restricted lands.
  Mrs. McCASKILL. I also want to assure my colleages that no Federal 
funds will be used to construct or maintain the Lemay connector road. 
Neither St. Louis County nor the State of Missouri is seeking or will 
seek Federal assistance to build, maintain, or operate the road. In 
fact, the County has sent several letters to FEMA that it will not seek 
Federal funding for the road. Under terms reached by the St. Louis 
County and Missouri DOT, private developers will bear 100 percent of 
the cost of construction of the road, and the road will be maintained 
by St. Louis County as part of its standard maintenance program,
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, my colleague from Missouri is correct that 
no Federal funds will be used for either construction or maintenance of 
this road. Furthermore, this road will become a county road and it will 
not be part of the Federal-aid system. Under current law, which this 
bill does not amend, the Lemay connector road is not an eligible use of 
Federal funding.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The bill (H.R. 1129) was ordered to be read a third time, was read 
the third time and passed.

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