PICAYUNE —
By The (Biloxi) Sun Herald:
Dozens of times this year, low water has forced the closure of sections of the Mississippi River to commercial traffic, a disruption of the economy too costly to be ignored.
Imagine the rage — and the immediate reaction — if all truck traffic through the heart of the nation was halted for days at a time — time and again — during the year.
Even when the drought-diminished Mighty Mississippi is open to barges, the water level is often so low that barges must carry lighter loads to keep from running aground and towboats must push fewer barges in order to navigate a narrower channel. Ironically, flooding last year may be exacerbating the impact of the drought this year by having moved more silt and debris into the river channel.
While barge companies’ loads may be lighter, their expenses are not. The cost of crew and fuel remains constant.
All of this contributes to the expense of transporting grains, fertilizer, salt, coal and other cargo up and down the river, a cost eventually paid by consumers.
A crippled Father of Waters is intolerable. That is why more than 40 mayors along the waterway have formed the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. The group has agreed on five priorities:
— Reform of existing and renewal of expired watershed-grant programs critical to disaster mitigation, disaster recovery, sustainable development and ecological rehabilitation.
— Reform of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
— Continued reform of the National Flood Insurance Program to make it cost effective and incentivized toward promoting sustainable development near flood-prone areas.
— Formation of a Mississippi River Congressional House and Senate Caucus for the entire main stem Mississippi.
— Pursuit of increased shipping and trade competitiveness for main stem Mississippi River ports.
The mayors are expected to take their concerns to Congress early next year, where they deserve more than sympathy.
The Mississippi River is a vital economic and recreational corridor running the length of this state’s western edge. Its health is also a concern of the Coast, because much of what goes into the river eventually goes into the Gulf, creating infamous “dead zones.”
We commend the mayors on their initiative, and hope we can soon commend Congress for taking appropriate action.
Online:
http://www.sunherald.com
Editorials
Affected cities push initiative on Miss. River management
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