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| The Chief of Engineers’ Report, approved Thursday, includes a recommendation to build seven new locks on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
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Chief
of Engineers’ Report Includes Navigation Improvements for
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers (12-17-04)
The chief of the Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday
approved a report calling for $2.6 billion in navigation infrastructure
improvements, including new locks, on the upper Mississippi and
Illinois rivers. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said
approval of the “Chief’s Report” marks an important
step forward in the effort to modernize the nation’s transportation
infrastructure.
Approval of
the report by the Chief of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, signals
the completion of the Corps’ 14-year navigation study. NCGA
President Leon Corzine said corn growers who rely on the rivers
to transport their crops welcomed the action and look forward to
securing authorization of new locks in the 109th Congress.
Lt. Gen. Strock’s approval of the Chief’s
Report reflects the will of the people,” Corzine said. “Thousands
of corn growers throughout the upper Mississippi River basin and
beyond attended hearings and sent in comments supporting the construction
of new locks. It is clearly evident that Lt. Gen. Strock, and the
countless other Corps officials who worked on the navigation study,
took those stakeholder comments to heart. Approval of the report
should help build the necessary momentum to ensure passage of lock
modernization measures in the next Congress.
The recommendations outlined in the Chief’s
Report include construction of seven new locks – five on the
upper Mississippi River and two on the Illinois River. The report,
which serves as the Corps’ official record of decision, also
includes important measures to enhance ecosystems in the Upper Mississippi
River basin.
Strock said the navigation study was a collaborative
effort of numerous federal and state agencies, non-governmental
organizations and the public. “I am especially pleased that
the study results enjoy the solid support of our non-federal sponsors,
and I believe the independent review from the National Research
Council has strengthened our effort,” he said. “I am
confident that our plan balances the need for economic growth and
environmental sustainability.”
If approved, planning will be implemented in a phased
manner with future checkpoints for the administration and Congress.
Strock restated the importance of beginning work on the project
immediately.
“It is imperative to the future of the nation's
economy and this important ecosystem that we proceed with implementation
while we work on continuing data collection, improving modeling
techniques and adapting the plan to emerging conditions,”
he said.
The Corps report now goes to the Secretary of the Army for review
and will be submitted to Congress. More information about the navigation
study is available by clicking
here.