Organizations say preventive measures need to be taken to prevent halt shipments on parts of the river.
The American Waterways Operators (AWO) and Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) are calling upon Congress and the Obama Administration to address a developing situation on the Mississippi River that the organizations say could effectively bring commerce on the Mississippi River to a halt in early December 2012.
Water releases from dams on the upper Missouri River are planned to be significantly scaled back in November. The two groups say the reductions are expected to negatively impact the Mississippi River water level between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., starting Dec. 1. Of particular concern are hazardous rock formations near Thebes and Grand Tower, Ill., which threaten navigation when water levels drop to anticipated, near historic lows. The rock formations, combined with the reduced flows from the Missouri River, will prohibit the transport of essential goods along this critical point in the river, effectively stopping barge transportation on the middle Mississippi River around Dec. 10.
In a statement, Tom Allegretti, AWO’s president and CEO, says, “Congress and the Administration need to understand the immediate severity of this situation. The Mississippi River is an economic superhighway that efficiently carries hundreds of millions of tons of essential goods for domestic use as well as national export. We need to address this situation swiftly, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and prevent the closure of the Mississippi.”
AWO and WCI are urging Congress and the President to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the removal of the rock formations near Thebes and Grand Tower before the Mississippi River reaches critical low water levels in December. The groups stated that additional measures should also be explored to preserve water levels that support navigation on the Mississippi through the winter months.
“Along with 150 million tons of agricultural products, nearly 180 million tons of coal, 150 million tons of petroleum, and all of the associated manufacturing jobs those and many other commodities support, the effects of stopping commerce on the Mississippi River will be felt harshly across the country,” says Michael Toohey, president and CEO of WCI. “We need to find a way to keep commerce moving, and I am confident the government can do so without having a significant impact on the many other beneficiaries of our inland waterways system whose need for water we recognize.”
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AWO is the national trade association representing the nation’s tugboat, towboat and barge industry which operates along the rivers, coasts, Great Lakes and harbors of the United States.
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WCI is the national public policy organization advocating for a modern and well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways.