<p>The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois&nbsp; joined the State&rsquo;s
 Attorneys of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties and&nbsp; other
 impacted parties on Nov. 15 in filing suit in federal court against the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its director Craig Fugate. The 
suit aims to invalidate new flood insurance rate maps that FEMA is 
planning to issue in the next year that would declare substantial 
portions of the American Bottom as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), 
without any justification and with dire implications for the St. Louis 
region.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"If FEMA&rsquo;s actions are allowed to proceed unchecked, area 
residents and businesses would be faced with mandatory flood insurance 
requirements, serious restrictions would be placed on new developments, 
and the cloud of uncertainty that already is robbing the region of its 
ability to attract new jobs and capital investment would blanket the 
area for years,"&nbsp; the Leadership Council said in a news release.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We applaud our county board chairmen for taking this important step 
and for their continued leadership on this vital issue as they strive to
 act in the best interest of more than 150,000 residents, 4,000 
employers and 56,000 jobs protected by the levees,&rdquo; notes Patrick 
McKeehan, executive director of the Leadership Council Southwestern 
Illinois.&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Our decision to join this lawsuit was not made lightly, but
 appears to be our last option in preventing the SFHA designation.&nbsp; It 
is extremely important that we protect the livelihood of workers, 
residents and businesses in our region, along with the long-term 
economic stability of the communities and institutions within the 
American Bottom.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;More information is available though the website
 for the recently launched St. Louis Metro East Levee Issues Alliance, 
which is being administered by the Leadership Council. Located at <a href="http://www.stlmetroeastlevees.org/">www.stlmetroeastlevees.org</a>,
 the website makes it easy for individuals and organizations to 
officially join the Alliance to gain access to background information on
 this issue and all the latest news, while also providing helpful tools 
for those who would like to support the legislative or outreach efforts 
in the coming months. For more information, or to view a copy of the 
release with more details about the lawsuit, visit the website or 
contact the Leadership Council at 618-692-9745.</p>