17
Dec
2012
EAST ALTON - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will join Senator Dick Durbin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, business officials and local stakeholders to discuss the Corps' response to low water levels in the Mississippi River. The Army Corps will brief attendees on the Corps' efforts to keep commerce flowing on the river.
"The Mississippi River is a vital economic resource, allowing goods to be transported around the country. I look forward to hearing from federal officials and stakeholders on efforts to keep barge traffic moving and sustain the economy dependent on river commerce," Simon said.
Simon, chair of the state's Mississippi River Coordinating Council, has urged the Army Corps to take necessary steps to prevent the RIVER'S shutdown. According to the American Waterways Operators, a national trade association representing tugboat, towboat and barge owners and operators, a potential closure preventing barges from transporting goods would jeopardize $7 billion in products during December and January alone.
DATE: Monday, Dec. 17
TIME: 8:30-9:30 a.m. meeting (closed to press; b-roll opportunity during final five minutes);
9:45 a.m. press conference
PLACE: Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station at the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center, 1 Confluence Way, East Alton
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