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Shippers seek White House's help to keep Mississippi River open
Drovers Cattle Network ^ | November 27, 2012 | Karl Plume

Posted on 11/28/2012 4:10:54 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Mississippi River barge operators and shipping groups on Tuesday asked U.S. President Barack Obama to declare a state of emergency on the river and direct the Army Corps of Engineers to keep the drought-lowered waterway open to commercial traffic to avert an "economic catastrophe."

Water on the Mississippi River along the busy stretch from St. Louis to Cairo, Illinois was expected to recede to record-low levels by mid-December, effectively halting the flow of barges that carry billions of dollars worth of grain, coal, steel, fuel and other products.

In a letter to the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Waterways Operators, the Waterways Council, and 16 other groups asked that the president order the Army Corps to immediately remove river-bottom rock at two locations, which posed a risk to boats during low water conditions.

The groups also requested that water releases from dams on northern sections of the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi at St. Louis, not be reduced as planned.

The request was made pursuant to section 501(b) of the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988.

ECONOMIC DISASTER IN THE MAKING

The Missouri River normally accounts for about 60 percent of the water in the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Cairo, but that share was closer to 80 percent this year because of the drought-reduced flow on the Mississippi.

The Army Corps is directed by law to adjust the flow from upriver dams on the Missouri to conserve water in a series of reservoirs, which are maintained for drinking water, power generation, navigation, recreation and other purposes.

Water in the reservoirs fell to below-normal levels this autumn due to the worst U.S. drought in 56 years. As a result, the Corps enacted drought conservations measures.

Flows could remain below normal next spring if the drought persists.

A Mississippi River closure in December and January would halt the flow of $7 billion worth of grain, coal, crude oil, petroleum products and chemicals, industry groups said.

The governors of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, 15 U.S. Senators and 62 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have also written the Administration to keep the river open.

"The most immediate effects would be felt up and down the river, but would spread quickly from those that work on the river to those that ship on the river to manufacturing workers and eventually to all of us as consumers," said Mike Toohey, president and CEO of Waterways Council, Inc.

"This is an economic disaster in the making and the Administration needs to act now to stop it." (Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: cairo; disaster; drought; economy; mississippiriver; missouririver; preparedness; preppers; prepping; stlouis
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1 posted on 11/28/2012 4:10:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Kartographer; blam; Marcella; JRandomFreeper

PING!


2 posted on 11/28/2012 4:12:42 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Obama should change his campaign slogan to "Yes, we am!" Sounds as stupid as his administration is.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Shovel ready jobs for the taking.


3 posted on 11/28/2012 4:14:23 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Then there are the other shippers at Obama’s mercy.

The East Coast ports strike is believed to be in the works again....... pretty soon. It will destroy all business since exports provide the margin to keep the doors open for many companies


4 posted on 11/28/2012 4:16:57 PM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 .....The fairest Deduction to be reduced is the Standard Deduction)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

This could be a blessing....close the river & close the ports...shop local


5 posted on 11/28/2012 4:19:51 PM PST by ptsal (E)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Facilitating trade is what I consider to be the general welfare. I personally think this one fits the bill.


6 posted on 11/28/2012 4:20:12 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

barry loves it when all these fools come and start begging and kissing his ass. Bottom line, fools, he won.


7 posted on 11/28/2012 4:21:47 PM PST by jivin gene (Breakin' up is hard to do)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I crossed over the Missouri in a couple of different places over the weekend. It was shocking to see how low the water is. Shocking!!!


8 posted on 11/28/2012 4:21:53 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: bert

Let’s all get real. If it makes sense, Obama will not do it. If it is nonsense, look for Obama to take the lead.


9 posted on 11/28/2012 4:22:44 PM PST by taterjay
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I think it’s crazy that the federal government controls rivers.


10 posted on 11/28/2012 4:23:33 PM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I had to laugh when I found out the State hit hardest by the drought was Illinois. Then later I watch Sandy head north and make a left near DC. Obama is just a big curse on this country.


11 posted on 11/28/2012 4:30:33 PM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Bull shippers ?


12 posted on 11/28/2012 4:39:56 PM PST by molson209
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Could be interesting. Shallow water freezes faster than deep water.


13 posted on 11/28/2012 4:43:41 PM PST by 2111USMC (aim small, miss small)
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To: ilovesarah2012
I think it’s crazy that the federal government controls rivers.

BETTER THINK AGAIN! Nahum 1:3-4

3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet

4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry

14 posted on 11/28/2012 4:59:31 PM PST by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Why don’t they just ask Obama to make it rain?


15 posted on 11/28/2012 5:06:39 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: stars & stripes forever

Good point!


16 posted on 11/28/2012 5:07:01 PM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: cripplecreek
Facilitating trade is what I consider to be the general welfare. I personally think this one fits the bill.

Yeah, true, which is why the A-hole in the White Hut will never allow it. Just like the oil pipeline.

17 posted on 11/28/2012 5:18:25 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (Obama considers the Third World morally superior to the United States.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

One would have thought that Hurricane Sandy would have helped the levels.


18 posted on 11/28/2012 5:27:49 PM PST by chopperman
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To: ilovesarah2012

Most waterborne trade routes are controlled by the USACE. They even run the website for the Soo Locks.

https://webcam.crrel.usace.army.mil/soo/


19 posted on 11/28/2012 5:28:22 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

This is stupid. Everyone knows we don’t release water from the Missouri upstream lakes. We wait for spring snowmelt and rains, and then flood cities upstream because the river capacity is outstripped no matter what we release!


20 posted on 11/28/2012 5:53:55 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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