OMAHA – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold three public meetings Wednesday, July 7, in New Orleans, La.; Thursday, July 8, in Memphis, Tenn.; and Friday, July 9, in St. Louis, Mo., to collect recommendations, suggestions and comments to help define the scope of studies that will be conducted for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study.
The meetings will be held:
July 7 New Orleans, La. Pontchartrain Center, 4545 Williams Blvd., Kenner
July 8 Memphis, Tenn. Memphis Marriott East, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
(Speakers’ comments from 5 to 6 p.m.; open house from
6 to 8 p.m. – this meeting only)
July 9 St. Louis, Mo. Doubletree Hotel St. Louis, 1973 Craigshire
The public meetings in New Orleans and St. Louis will run from 5 to 8 p.m. with an open-house from 5 to 7 p.m. The final hour (7 to 8 p.m.) will be reserved for public speakers’ comments. The Memphis meeting program will run differently, with the speakers’ comment portion beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m. with the open house running from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants may attend at their convenience.
The public meetings will include:
· Program booklet and comment form
· Continuous overview presentations so participants can watch at their convenience
· Individual, manned stations focused on each of the authorized purposes
· One-on-one conversations with Corps experts to ask questions and gain information on the study
· Materials on the study
· Comment forms, computer terminals and a court reporter to record comments at each site
“We are receiving excellent input and we hope the public continues to provide us with their ideas, concerns and comments about the study, which we will take into consideration as the study is shaped,” said Mark Harberg, study co-manager
Congress directed the Corps to conduct a study of the Missouri River projects within the basin to review the original project purposes based on the 1944 Flood Control Act to determine if changes to these purposes are warranted. The eight purposes are flood control, hydropower, water supply, irrigation, navigation, recreation, water quality and fish and wildlife. Infrastructure operated by both the Corps and Bureau of Reclamation is included in the study.
Individuals requiring assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in these meetings can contact lois@djcase.com at least three days prior to a specific meeting. Those who use a telecommunications service for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) anytime at 800-877-8339 to relay this same information.
Comments will be accepted through September 20, 2010. They can be e-mailed to: mraps@usace.army.mil or sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study, Attn: CENWO-PM-AA, 1616 Capitol Avenue, Suite 9000, Omaha, NE 68102-4901.
For more information about the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study, visit:
www.mraps.org.