Additional MRAPS scoping meeting set

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — To provide further opportunity for public involvement and comments for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have an additional public meeting Sept. 7 in Worthington 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 public meeting will run from 5 to 8 p.m. with an open-house from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Commons at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Worthington campus. The final hour (7 to 8 p.m.) will be reserved for public speakers’ comments.

The public meeting 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 continue to receive lots of public input with comments ranging from the need to conduct contemporary evaluation of the congressionally authorized purposes to no need for additional study, the money could be better spent elsewhere,” said Mark Harberg, study co-manager. “We will take all of these ideas, suggestions and comments into consideration as we shape our efforts.”

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.

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.

Comments will be accepted through Sept. 20. 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.

Tags: news, mraps, meeting, worthington