Possible Mississippi River Shutdown Threatens Thousands of Jobs

KMOX-AM ^ | November 30, 2012 | Justin Wingerter

[2ndDivisionVet]

It’s an issue that has plagued states along the Mississippi River for months and has now landed squarely on the desk of President Obama: how to prevent the imminent shutdown of commercial traffic along the nation’s largest waterway.

A nationwide drought, the worst to hit the U.S. in decades, has lowered water levels along the river, threatening barge traffic.

White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the President raised the issue with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, directing his administration to take “every step to mitigate” the situation. Carney added that there are a number of “complex” legal and technical steps which can be pursued, saying the Army Corps of Engineers has taken “proactive” measures.

The biggest obstacle is jagged rocks jutting up from the bottom of the Mississippi which make it impossible for barges to move.

“The Corps needs to get in there and literally blow them up to get them out of the way or we will be either extremely limited or completely shut down some time between December 15 and December 30,” Senior Vice President of Regional Advocacy for the American Waterways Operators Lynn Muench said. “If we do lose the river between mid-December and January, the jobs that are at risk in Missouri are almost 3,000 jobs.”

Muench said she’s reached out to President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, mirroring an effort Thursday by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster...

[GeronL]

Of course, if you had to study and plan something like that, it is not going to be fast

[HiTech RedNeck]

I am pro-choice on light bulbs and commodes.

[ProudFossil]

That is leadership folks.

Obama is no leader, he is the Messiah!!!

[Gene Eric]

And the admin’s response will be: find an environmental reason for not dredge-blasting so we can attach more citizens to the taxpayers’ teat.

[Vince Ferrer]

We could release water from the dams in the Missippi basin. Oh, wait, we have removed 888 of them in the US:

2010 Dam Removals

[DesertRhino]

They keep the dams on the Missouri closed and filled. That way when the spring snowmelt hits, it can flood that part of the midwest.

[familyop]

Currently, from...
http://www.drought.gov/drought/content/products-current-drought-and-monitoring-drought-indicators/us-drought-monitor

[umgud]

Of course, if you had to study and plan something like that, it is not going to be fast

Point well taken, but I've worked with the Corp over 30 years and I'm not impressed.

[GeronL]

true.

It’s a big job sounds like, but I guess the private sector could be contracted to do it faster

[Popman]

Thursday that the President raised the issue with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting,

Wait'... Obama had a Cabinet Meeting ???

Stop the presses....

[ex91B10]

"directing his administration to take “every step to mitigate” the situation."

Unless it kills a fish or something.

Impeach the kenyan or secession.

[Cheerio]

Obama directed them to take every appropriate measure and to strictly avoid any measures that might lead to a mistake. He might have even thrown in a “report back to me” somewhere for good measure. That is leadership folks.

[oldenuff2no]

I bet all those union folks are going to be protesting Mother Nature now.....

[Carry_Okie]

They have the Central Coast of California in a state of “moderate drought.” I say bull-crap. Last year was dry, but the two years before were abnormally wet. It has been the wettest fall here in as far back as my records go. Hence, I’d like to know how they calculate “drought.”

[BlueMoose]

Watch out for the false prophecies.

[BlueMoose]

Watch out for the false prophecies.

[calex59]

Being a fellow resident of CA, I agree with you and I have noticed that every time we are at normal, or slightly below normal rainfall, the CA politicians scream drought and try to tax the hell out of us plus they like the control they have over people by telling them to buy low flush toilets, slow leak shower heads and the like. We are not in a drought in CA and haven’t been since the one back in the 80s.

[cripplecreek]

We could release water from the dams in the Missippi basin. Oh, wait, we have removed 888 of them in the US.

Doing a bang up job of it too. In this case a private investor offered to spend the money to restore generating capacity and they refused him.

Dam Removal Mishap Raises More Questions, Concerns

[Carry_Okie]

I have noticed that every time we are at normal, or slightly below normal rainfall, the CA politicians scream drought and try to tax the hell out of us plus they like the control they have over people by telling them to buy low flush toilets, slow leak shower heads and the like.

The goal is to create a usable supply for more development. The projections are for a California population of over 50 million.

[ducttape45]

2nd Chronicles 7:13-14, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Pay close attention to the first part of the scripture, not so much the second part. Anyone care to take a guess at how many of those 3 conditions haven't been met yet?

This is proper teaching of the scriptures. There was a reason for why Solomon was given what is contained in verse 14; it's because of what's in verse 13!

It's too bad you'll never see the entire passage laid out before this disbelieving nation, a finger pointed at them and the accusation leveled. No one on a national stage has the courage.