The Committee on Small Business will hold a hearing titled, “Flooded Out: Vanishing Environmental Reviews and the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, July 19, 2019 at 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.
Hearing Notice
Hearing Memo
Witness List
Witnesses
Mr. Mike Warner
Executive Director
Lake County Stormwater Management Commission
Libertyville, IL
Testimony
Mr. Howard Learner
Executive Director
The Environmental Law & Policy Center
Chicago, IL
Testimony
Mr. John Durning
Owner
Pizzeria Deville
Libertyville, IL
Testimony
Dr. Louis Woo
Special Assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Foxconn
Fewi Development Corporation
Milwaukee, WI
Testimony
*Witness testimony will be posted within 24 hours after the hearing’s occurrence
