WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the aftermath of the record flooding in the Bootheel this Spring, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the rebuilding of Birds Point Levee.
According to a recent article in the Southeast Missourian, the Army Corps is developing alternatives to reset the levee next year. The article noted, “The floodway remains deluged more than three weeks after the corps breached the Birds Point-New Madrid levee to ease the pressure of rising rivers threatening to flood communities upstream and downstream.”
The Members wrote Army Corps Commander of the Memphis District Colonel Vernie L. Reichling, Jr. this week to express their concerns that “delaying a temporary levee nearly a year is simply not acceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.”
“Taking a year to restore this levee is absolutely unacceptable,” said Blunt. “It’s critical that the Army Corps expedite this restoration as quickly as possible so the farmers, families, and business owners in the Bootheel can rebuild their lives as soon as possible without the burden of more bureaucratic red tape.”
“The Army Corps of Engineers blew up the Birds Point Levee and they should be responsible for repairing that damage as soon as possible. We are committed to ensuring that this project receives the priority it deserves. The farmers in Southeast Missouri, who are vital to our state’s agricultural industry, deserve reassurance that their land, and livelihoods, will be protected,” said McCaskill.
“Folks in Southern Missouri literally have their lives and livelihoods on hold until the Mississippi River levees are restored. They can’t go home, they can’t work, and they can’t put a crop in. We all want to see the Corps of Engineers proceed as quickly as possible in putting flood protection back in place. Recovery from this disaster will be long and difficult, but people in this area haven’t been able to begin the process yet. They deserve the quickest and best efforts of the Corps of Engineers to rebuild their levees so the people can rebuild their lives,” said Emerson.
June 1, 2011
Colonel Vernie L. Reichling, Jr.
Commander, Memphis District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
167 North Main Street, B202
Memphis, Tennessee 38103-1894
Colonel Reichling:
Citizens, soldiers and Corps personnel are all to be commended for the selfless efforts during the ongoing historic flood along the Mississippi River Valley. As the floodwaters slowly recede, this partnership will be even more important as plans for recovery are implemented so citizens can return to some semblance of normal life as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Southeast Missourian ran an article – “Corps sets March deadline for temporary fix of breached Birds Point Levee” – that disturbs many Missourians given the significant destruction citizens experienced due to the activation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway.
Knowing the importance of this region to Missouri’s economy, let alone the lives and livelihood and of hundreds of citizens, delaying a temporary levee nearly a year is simply not acceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.
We urge the Memphis District and the Mississippi River Commission to work closely with local citizens to find a way to stop the inflow of water in to the floodway so that farmers and the citizens of the floodway can begin recovery efforts, while plans for full reconstruction of levee is being conducted.
Thank you for your attention to this vitally important mission for the citizens of southeast Missouri.
Sincerely,
Senator Roy Blunt
Senator Claire McCaskill
Representative Jo Ann Emerson
cc: MG Michael Walsh
Mississippi River Commission