Washington, DC - President Donald J. Trump instructed the Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney to accelerate the completion of repairs to Florida’s Herbert Hoover Dike. The Herbert Hoover Dike, which surrounds Lake Okeechobee and provides flood protection to South Florida, was identified by the Army Corps in the early 2000s to be at high risk of failure and in need of repairs to address significant dam safety and stability issues. A major rehabilitation of the dike has been ongoing since 2007 and under the current trajectory, is still more than a decade away from completion.

“This project is important to the state of Florida and we are honored to play a role in the funding, and now acceleration, of this essential infrastructure initiative,” Director Mulvaney said.

The Administration, working closely with Florida Governor Rick Scott, will now plan to expedite work at the project. The Administration is pleased to see Florida allocate additional State funding to the project in order to bring this major infrastructure priority to completion more quickly and cost-effectively.

“The federally operated Herbert Hoover Dike is in desperate need of repair,” Governor Scott said. “Since I have taken office, it has been one of my top priorities to protect Florida families and our environment by getting this critical project completed. After meeting with President Trump in April, he committed to me to provide the necessary funding to speed the repairs to the Dike. Today, I want to thank President Trump for prioritizing these repairs and protecting Florida’s environment for our future generations.”