AG Hood asks the Corps of Engineers for meeting on Bonnet Carre’ Spillway opening

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says he’s concerned about the environmental impact of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway (BCS) opening. And he’s asking to meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to gather more information on how it affects Mississippi.

Tuesday, Hood sent a letter to Major General Richard Kaiser asking to meet with him and his staff as soon as possible to better understand the situation. He specifically asked to discuss:

• The Corps’ environmental monitoring plan cited in the February 25 and May 10, 2019 releases;
• The Corps’ environmental impact studies after closing the BCS;
• The Corps’ plans to address the economic and environmental impact to the State given the nearly annual opening of the BCS;
• The Corps’ plans to consider design changes to the BCS and upstream structures to lessen the impacts on Coastal Mississippi;
• The Corps’ plans to consider other flood control mitigation options to bring about fewer openings of the BCS including but not limited to construction of pumps at the Steele Bayou Control Structure;
• The Corps’ plans to address federal regulations to provide greater flexibility with flood control management in the Mississippi River Valley to lessen the impacts of opening the BCS on Coastal Mississippi;

The attorney general went on to ask that both he and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources be included in all future stakeholder meetings regarding the opening of the spillway and Mississippi flood management.

“It is imperative that all stakeholders impacted participate in this process,” Hood wrote.

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