[StBernard] Landrieu Requests $35 Million To Pay For Dredging of Mississippi River Channel

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Requests $35 Million To Pay For Dredging Of Mississippi River
Channel
Without Congressional funds, Corps will reprogram money from other waterway
maintenance projects in La.

 

WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today wrote the
Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development,
asking that they designate the necessary funds to maintain navigation along
the Mississippi River. The high water levels of the last few weeks have
compromised travel on the river. 

"If Congress fails to provide funding to address maintenance of navigation
along the Mississippi River, the nation's waterways will be crippled," wrote
Sen. Landrieu, who also sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"Accordingly, I request that the Corps be provided all necessary funding to
maintain navigation along the Mississippi without reprogramming from other
projects in the Emergency Supplemental Act of 2008."

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it will cost $35 million to
complete the dredging to alleviate the excess silt clogging the channel of
the river. As these funds are not currently available, the Corps is planning
to divert funds from other waterway project funds around the nation.
Notably, $9,570,000 would be reprogrammed from the Calcasieu River and Pass
in Louisiana, and $467,000 would be reprogrammed from maintenance projects
in Lake Providence, La. 

Diverting funds from their original projects would be detrimental to the
maintenance of waterways throughout Louisiana. By requesting the $35
million, Sen. Landrieu hopes to mitigate the negative effects of
reprogramming funds. 

- 30 -