Frequently Asked Questions

1Q. What is the Regional Interagency Levee Task Force and what organizations compose it?

5Q. What is the composition of the Interagency Levee Work Groups (ILWGs)?

6Q. Is this just another study group?

7Q. What kind of timeframe are you looking at?

8Q. Will this impact the process of rebuilding the levees to the pre-flood stage or the communities' ability to get higher levees?

9Q. Will this cost communities more?

10Q. We've heard about changing the flood reduction system since 1993, but what's going to change now?

11Q. What kind of help can this task force provide for the people in the impacted states?

12Q. You say to go to the Joint Field Office for assistance, but most will close soon. What happens then? Where should people go to get help and how soon can they expect to get some?

13Q. Will the levees be built higher?

14Q. What role will each of the various agencies represented on this task force play?

15Q. What about the projects that don't have funding?

16Q. You talk about nonstructural measures instead of rebuilding the levees or making them higher, but that probably means flooding productive farm land. How do you plan to help these farmers?

17Q. Who has the final approval on anything that comes out of this task force?

18Q. How soon can we expect to see any results from this task force?

19Q. I have already applied for assistance. How does this new procedure affect me?

1Q. What is the Regional Interagency Levee Task Force and what organizations compose it?
A: The task force is a regional interagency team of Federal and State agencies that will collaborate on a regional interagency approach to floodplain management among all levels of government (Federal, State and Local). The federal organizations that are represented on the task force are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The ILTF will include senior regional member representatives from each involved federal agency. The task force also will include participation by appropriate State, Tribal and Local Agency representatives. The Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (or the Commander's designee) will be Chairman of the task force and designated Lead Coordinating Official.

2Q. What is the goal of the ILTF?
A: The goal of the ILTF is to establish a collaborative regional interagency approach to floodplain management among all levels of government (Federal, State, Local), allowing a more organized and consistent governmental response to addressing long-term community recovery within the region.

3Q. How is the ILTF funded?
A: ILTF is funded by each of the participating agencies.

4Q. How does the ILTF work?
A: The intent of the ILTF is to provide a coordinated "one-stop shopping" process for applicants seeking federal assistance for levee restoration/repairs or other assistance. Applicants' assistance requests will be processed at the state Joint Field Office (JFO) level, and the Interagency Levee Work Groups at each JFO will process requests. The Work Groups; a subset of the ILTF will review the requests to determine the type of assistance needed, the federal agency appropriate to respond, the correct authority and/or programs available for federal assistance.

5Q. What is the composition of the Interagency Levee Work Groups (ILWGs)?
A. The ILWG is composed of state and federal representatives from the ILTF agencies that will address state-by-state requirements through the JFO.

6Q. Is this just another study group?
A. No. The ILTF is designed to evaluate and recommend immediate and long-term changes to the floodplain management activities to include flood risk management. This would include identifying non-structural alternatives. At the same time, the working groups at the Joint Field Office will process immediate requests for assistance and guide applicants to the appropriate federal/state programs.

7Q. What kind of timeframe are you looking at?
A: In the short term the focus of the ILTF will be to assist in the repair or restoration of the flood risk management systems damaged by the 2008 Midwest floods as soon as possible while looking at long-term solutions.

8Q. Will this impact the process of rebuilding the levees to the pre-flood stage or the communities' ability to get higher levees?
A: No. Damaged floodplain management systems will be restored to their pre-flood level of protection if that is what the local sponsor desires. Improvements or higher levels of protection are not to be considered or evaluated as part of this recovery effort, however local sponsors can provide funding for improvement to existing structures.

9Q. Will this cost communities more?
A: Restoration of the damaged systems will be a shared responsibility. A community's cost share for the repair of the damaged systems may vary depending on the federal and state agency program authorities and the type of project being repaired.

10Q. We've heard about changing the flood reduction system since 1993, but what's going to change now?
A: Improvements have been made since 1993. The levees, although some overtopped, worked as intended to buy critical time for local emergency management officials to safely evacuate residents. In some cases, levee performance and the actions of determined communities provided the additional time needed to reinforce and improve levees to protect lives and property behind them. As part of the recovery process, the task force will work closely with state and local agencies to identify future flood risk reduction opportunities and while addressing lessons learned from this disaster that can be applied to improve practices or system changes.

11Q. What kind of help can this task force provide for the people in the impacted states?
A: The task force will be able to identify and coordinate the various federal and state agency programs to provide a coordinated response that can help communities restore their floodplain risk management systems.

12Q. You say to go to the Joint Field Office for assistance, but most will close soon. What happens then? Where should people go to get help and how soon can they expect to get some?
A: The Interagency Levee Work Groups will initially work from the Joint Field Offices to coordinate effectively with other federal and state agencies involved in the recovery. As the recovery progresses and system repairs are completed, Task Force operations will be adjusted or relocated as necessary and our partners and the public will be informed of these changes. The USACE will remain the lead agency for this effort.

13Q. Will the levees be built higher?
A: No. Levees that are repaired will be repaired to their pre-storm condition and level of protection.

14Q. What role will each of the various agencies represented on this task force play?
A: The task force will establish working groups that will operate at the state Joint Field Offices to review assistance requests from local entities. The intent is to provide a "one-stop shopping" process for the applicant seeking federal assistance for levee restoration and repair as well as other assistance.

15Q. What about the projects that don't have funding?
A: Repair of projects will be based on existing program authorities and whether or not a project is eligible for assistance under that specific program. The Interagency Levee Work Group will assist in identifying and coordinating agency programs that can provide assistance in project repairs.

16Q. You talk about nonstructural measures instead of rebuilding the levees or making them higher, but that probably means flooding productive farm land. How do you plan to help these farmers?
A: The possibility of implementing a non-structural measure as part of a system repair is an option available to local project sponsors as an alternative for reducing vulnerabilities to flood risk. The implementation of a non-structural measure would be considered at the request of a local project sponsor.

17Q. Who has the final approval on anything that comes out of this task force?
A: Consideration and approval of recommendations will be a joint decision with the project sponsors and the federal and state agencies implementing the repair of the damaged project.

18Q. How soon can we expect to see any results from this task force?
A: Task Force meetings have already begun and work groups have been established at the state JFOs. In addition, we are already meeting with local sponsors regarding plans and projects that have been proposed following the floods.

19Q. I have already applied for assistance. How does this new procedure affect me?
A: It really doesn't. Your application is already in the system to be reviewed by the work group. The creation of the task force and the work groups formalizes the collaborative interagency process that has already been working at the joint field offices.

revised 26 Aug 2008