House Small Business Committee
Field Hearing: Flooded Out: Vanishing Environmental Reviews and the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program
Wheeling Village Hall – 2 Community Blvd, Wheeling, IL, 60090
Environmental reviews protect communities by studying in advance the social, environmental, and economic harms that could result from a construction project. Understanding the potential harms gives the public and government officials the ability to make informed decision-making prior to construction and the opportunity to plan for mitigation. Unfortunately, environmental reviews are skipped for expediency, such as the Foxconn development in Wisconsin which has the potential to exacerbate flooding in the Des Plaines River watershed. After severe flooding in 2017, businesses in Lake County, Illinois utilized SBA’s disaster loans to rebuild and recover. With projections of more severe future flooding, the SBA disaster loan program could face further unnecessary strain. As Congress considers adapting the program to face additional challenges related to increasing disasters, it is important to understand how compliance with required environmental reviews can ensure the longevity of the SBA disaster program.
Witnesses- Mike Warner, Executive Director, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, Libertyville, IL
- Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Chicago, IL
- John Durning, Owner, Pizzeria Deville, Libertyville, IL Testimony
- Dr. Louis Woo , Special Assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Foxconn, Fewi Development Corporation