Mississippi Gulf News

Congressman Mike Ezell questioned Mr. Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, about the Army Corps of Engineers' management of the Bonnet Carré Spillway during June 22 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee.

In response to Congressman Ezell's questions, Assistant Secretary Connor committed to including Mississippi Gulf Coast community leaders and business owners in the Corps of Engineers' recently announced Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study.

"Our Gulf Coast community, especially the business owners who lost everything when the Spillway was opened in 2019, deserve to have a say in the management of the Bonnet Carré," Congressman Ezell said. "I'm grateful to Assistant Secretary Connor for agreeing to include them in the conversation, and I look forward to continuing this discussion with the Corps as I work to ensure Mississippi has a voice on this issue."

"We applaud Congressman Ezell’s leadership for protection of the Mississippi Sound at the congressional hearing on Water Resources and Environment on June 22." said Gerald Blessey, Manager of the Mississippi Sound Coalition. "Thanks to Congressman Ezell’s penetrating questions, the Corps of Engineers is now committed to consulting Mississippi Coast local governments, fishermen, and tourism businesses as key stakeholders as the Corps now goes forward with its Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study to look for ways to avoid or mitigate damage to the ecosystem of the Mississippi Sound caused by opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway."

You can watch Congressman Ezell's questioning regarding the Bonnet Carré Spillway on YouTube. 

Original source can be found here.