On October 16th, the Corps of Engineers released its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Yazoo Pumps project - a disastrous and wasteful project opposed repeatedly by many WPN members for years. This $500 million project in Mississippi's South Delta would destroy tens of thousands of acres of wetlands, increase flood risks for some communities, and create a precedent that threatens our ability to protect waters and public health across the country.  The Corps is attempting to build the same project that was vetoed in 2008 under Clean Water Act 404(c).  In its rush to get this project approved, the Corps has released a draft SEIS that is incomplete and in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and other laws that govern Corps planning.

We encourage Water Protection Network members and partners to engage on this issue before the November 30th public comment deadline, including by submitting individual comments, organizational comments, and joining an upcoming group comment letter.

Learn more:

• Read the Yazoo Pumps Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and appendices.
• WPN member American Rivers: Trump Administration Goes After Clean Water Act.
• E&E News: Wetlands: Army Corps advances flood project halted by Bush EPA veto
• Read the June 2020 group letter to the Corps, on the Notice of Intent to Prepare an SEIS, from 109 conservation, environmental, faith-based, and recreation organizations opposing the Yazoo Pumps.
• Learn about the many Alternative Flood Relief Solutions to the Yazoo Pumps.

Submit a comment:

• Submit your comments by the Monday, November 30, 2020 deadline
  • by email to YazooBackwater@usace.army.mil
  • or by mail to District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183-3435.
• The Corps may also hold virtual public meetings that have not yet been announced.
• You can also submit a comment through WPN member American Rivers' action alert here.

In a comment letter last week, 56 conservation, civic, and faith organizations and businesses led by Water Protection Network members called on the Corps of Engineers to develop comprehensive flood damage reduction solutions to both protect Mississippi River communities and restore vital wildlife habitat. The letter commented on the Corps' Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement II (SEIS II) for the Mississippi River Mainline Levees (MRL) feature of the Mississippi River & Tributaries Project. The SEIS II provides a critical opportunity for the Corps to develop meaningful, comprehensive long-term flood damage reduction solutions. Instead of considering a full array of solutions including natural and nature-based flood damage reduction measures, levee setbacks, ecosystem restoration actions, and improved navigation management actions, the draft SEIS II rubber stamps a decades-old approach to the MRL project. The draft SEIS II also fails to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the mitigation requirements for civil works projects, the Independent External Peer Review Requirements, and the National Water Resources Planning Policy. The Corps announced in its October 1st virtual public hearing on the draft SEIS II that it will release the final SEIS II on or about October 30th - only 13 working days after the draft SEIS II public comment period closed on October 13th.

Click here to read the full letter to the Corps of Engineers from 56 organizations and businesses.
Click here to read detailed technical comments from WPN member National Wildlife Federation.

Thank you to all who signed on to or helped to share the letter!

In mid-September, the Corps of Engineers published its Proposal To Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits to revise and replace 2017 Nationwide Permits (NWPs). The proposed new NWPs would significantly roll back important protections, including by removing restrictions on the extent of impacts allowed and by allowing more activities to move forward under nationwide permits. This would mean that more activities would move forward without going through an assessment of impacts.

We strongly encourage WPN Members to submit comments on the proposal before the November 16th public comment deadline. Please also stay tuned for more developments, including a likely WPN sign-on letter highlighting key issues of concern. 

Learn more and comment:

• Learn more from an earlier WPN Update.
• Read the full proposal in the Federal Register here.
• Comment on the proposal by the November 16, 2020 public comment deadline:
  • Include the docket number COE-2020-0002 in the subject of your comment.
  • Submit your comment through any of the following methods:
    • Online here at regulations.gov or at the top of the Federal Register notice page
    • By email to nationwidepermits2020@usace.army.mil 
    • By mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000