Full Text of SJR0080 97th General Assembly
SJ0080 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The 2012 drought has caused a significant impact | 3 | | on water levels on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, In normal years, the Missouri River contributes | 5 | | 60% of the Mississippi River's flow south of St. Louis; the | 6 | | river currently contributes 78% of the flow; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The United States Army Corps of Engineers has | 8 | | stopped the release of water from upper Missouri River | 9 | | reservoirs, which has negatively impacted water levels on the | 10 | | Mississippi River; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, With the continuing and projected lack of adequate | 12 | | precipitation, in combination with reduced flow, barge traffic | 13 | | restrictions or even the closure of the Mississippi River | 14 | | channel are imminent; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois and Midwest economies depend on the | 16 | | efficient shipment of grain, fertilizer, and other commodities | 17 | | on the Mississippi River; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The President of the United States has the | 19 | | authority to declare an emergency; therefore, be it
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 2 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 3 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the President to take emergency | 4 | | action to ensure water levels do not fall below a level needed | 5 | | by commercial navigation on the Mississippi River; and be it | 6 | | further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the Administration to direct the | 8 | | Army Corps of Engineers to avert potential economic disaster on | 9 | | this vital avenue that American farmers use to get their goods | 10 | | into the world market; and be it further | 11 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the Army Corps of Engineers to | 12 | | expedite and fully implement alternative emergency measures to | 13 | | remedy this situation, including the dredging and removal of | 14 | | rock pinnacles in the Mississippi River south of St. Louis; and | 15 | | be it further | 16 | | RESOLVED, That we further urge the Army Corps of Engineers | 17 | | to deviate from planned operations outlined in the Missouri | 18 | | River Master Water Control Manual and exercise its authority to | 19 | | address situations when circumstances justify deviation from | 20 | | the plan; and be it further | 21 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 22 | | delivered to President Barack Obama, the U.S. Army Corps of |
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| 1 | | Engineers, each member of the Illinois Congressional | 2 | | Delegation, and Governor Pat Quinn.
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