The U.S. EPA has moved to block an Army Corps of Engineers flood-control project in the Mississippi Delta, the first time the agency has aimed to veto a Corps project since 1990. The $220 million project would have built the world's largest hydraulic pump, sucking dry enough wetland area to cover New York City in order to protect a sparsely populated area of soybean fields from Yazoo River flooding. The so-called Yazoo Pump (which would almost solely benefit subsidy-laden soybean farmers) was once described as an "economic [dud] with huge environmental consequences" -- by a top Corps lobbyist. Informing the Corps of its disapproval, the EPA wrote that the plan "could result in unacceptable adverse effects on the aquatic ecosystem, particularly to fish and wildlife resources." Says a delighted Rebecca Wodder of green group American Rivers, "One of the most environmentally disastrous ideas of the last half century is now one step closer to being thrown into the trash where it belongs."
source: Time, The Clarion-Ledger, American Rivers
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Pompey Road Posted 7:52 am
06 Feb 2008
We had devistating floods in the 30's, in 1957, 1964 and the last monster was in 77 that caused millions of dollars in damage to the communities below the dam. Madness, not only is this a property damage issue but speaks to life and welfare of the citizens below the dam.
How can millions of federal tax dollars be spent to construct and maintain a federal flood control project and every agency from the state level on up to the federal just turn a blind eye as to what is going on at Fishtrap Dam.
It cost the federal tax payers millions in 77 when FEMA had to come in here for months and try to put this place back together. We are already past due for our next big flood event and the stripping of the watershed goes on. Insanity
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