The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CONTROLLING THE ILLINOIS RIVER” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1629-E1630 on Sept. 3, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONTROLLING THE ILLINOIS RIVER
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HON. JOHN SHIMKUS
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 3, 1997
Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to several constituents that recently received national recognition. Lockmaster Stan Wallace, Assistant Lockmaster Dave Hood, and Equipment Mechanic Bill Cross have been awarded the Department of Energy's Hammer Award, for their innovative work.
These gentlemen have pioneered a new procedure that raises each of the 109 wickets on the Illinois River in a less dangerous, physically easier, and more efficient process. Raising the wickets, which previously took 16 to 18 hours, now only takes 1 or 2 hours and, as a result, will save taxpayers $1 million over the life of the dam. The new process includes loading a backhoe onto a barge and floating it out to the dam. The backhoe uses a specially rigged hook to catch and raise the wicket.
I commend these gentlemen for their original thinking and hard work. I also encourage the Department of Energy to continue fostering ideas that emanate from their local employees who are closest to the problems. Stan Wallace, Dave Hood, and Bill Cross are an excellent example of how American ingenuity and hard work pay off, not only for their fellow colleagues, but also for the taxpayers of this great Nation.
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