Sen. Roy Blunt asking Obama for emergency declaration due to low river levels

[Sherman A1]

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and others are asking President Obama for an emergency declaration to keep commerce moving along the Mississippi River. Many fear without it Missouri and other states face an economic disaster.

Last Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers began reducing the flow of water from the Missouri River into the Mississippi. Predictions are the water will get so low around St. Louis that in two weeks, barge traffic will be restricted and might have to come to a halt. An estimated $7 billion of cargo normally travels the stretch of river from St. Louis to Cairo, Illinois in December and January. And many of the items are things we use on a daily basis.

“Anything from coal to grains for exports, cements for building products, sugar for food products, petroleum products that keep the refineries open, finished steel, raw materials for steel mills, salt for road salt to keep us safe on the highways for winter time,” explained Marty Hettel, Senior Manager of Bulk Sales for AEP River Operations and a member of the Waterways Council.

It would take 10,000 trucks and 2500 rail cars to transport the same amount of goods that go up and down the Mississippi River on a daily basis.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Sen-Roy-Blunt-asking-Obama-for-emergency-declaration-due-to-low-river-levels-181120551.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. But there is no climate change

[wilt the stilt]

2. Sorry Roy

we are going to follow your party's mantra. you are on your own. this is a state issue.

[ROBROX]

3. THIS IS THE NEW FLOW TO AN OLD RIVER

If the flow is not reduced to save water today then next summer there will be no water. The question is do they support TODAY'S TRAFFIC or NEXT YEAR'S WATER?

California and the western states know about drought. Now the other states will realize why there are WATER WARS. The other states will have to get use to irrigation and conserving water.

They all laughed at California for doing those environmental things and now they will have to do the same or suffer.

[Sherman A1]

4. The year before,

they were blowing up levees to accommodate the flooding from too much water coming down the river. I am not sure if there is any real right or wrong answer here.