By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in St. Louis today (Friday) and met with several local leaders about flood control.
St. Louis Mayor Slay asked Lieutenant General Carl Strock about the mood of Congress in funding projects like repairs to the city's flood wall.
Strock says lawmakers were keen on funding such projects immediately after Hurricane Katrina, but he says that interest has since begun to dim.
"So I think it's incumbent on all of us to do that sort of hard analysis done here and let people know true condition of system, then shame on them if they decide to use the money in other ways, Strock said.
Congress appropriated half the amount St. Louis requested this year for repairs on the flood wall.
The total project is expected to cost more than 15 million dollars.
St. Louis voters approved a bond issue last month to pay for 35 percent of the cost.