Third District Congressman Michael Guest is encouraging Mississippians to share their thoughts on the Yazoo Backwater Area Project to assist the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the project.
After multiple instances of damage and loss of life from recent floods in the South Mississippi Delta, the SEIS intends to analyze the effectiveness of the Yazoo Area Pump Project. The deadline for comment is today, June 15th, 2020. The completion of the SEIS report is scheduled for October 2020. A final decision on the Yazoo Backwater Pump feature is scheduled for January 2021 and could lead to the beginning of pump construction.
“I encourage Mississippians to share their thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences with the Corps of Engineers as they work to alleviate future flooding in the South Mississippi Delta,” Guest said. “We can share the truth about the devastating impact recent floods have had on our communities and highlight how the Yazoo Area pumps would mitigate future flooding events.”
Since his election, Congressman Guest has been a proponent of the Yazoo Area Pump Project. Last year, Congressman Guest wrote a letter urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to reconsider the EPA’s 2008 veto of the Yazoo Backwater Area Pumps Project and to find a viable solution to alleviating future high-water events in Mississippi’s South Delta.
In a statement released last year, Congressman Guest highlighted the benefits a pump system could have on the South Mississippi Delta region.
“This [2019] season, an estimated 550,000 acres of land have been inundated, and the livelihoods of hard-working Mississippians have been disrupted by this event,” Guest said. “Farmers are unable to plant their fields and residents are unable to leave their homes without encountering dangerous and unknown floodwaters. With a solution to the Yazoo Backwater Area Project, Mississippians who find their homes, businesses, and farms under water can be confident enough to return and rebuild in the future.”
To submit comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the SEIS, Mississippians can:
- Email YazooBackwater@usace.army.mil
- Call by phone Mr. Kenneth Parrish at 601-631-5006.
- Participate in the Delta Council postcard campaign by visiting one of its locations.
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