Feds in Contempt Over Missouri River Flap

From: "KD Weber"
Feds in Contempt Over Missouri River Flap

Feds in Contempt Over Missouri River Flap
FULL STORY: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2940119,00.html
Wednesday July 23, 2003 7:39 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge held the Army Corps of Engineers in contempt
Tuesday for refusing to lower Missouri River water levels to protect endangered
birds and fish. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the corps and the
secretary of the Army to comply by Friday or pay half a million dollars for each
day the corps refuses to comply. She said she may consider ``more draconian
contempt remedies'' if flow is not cut by July 31.

The corps has refused to follow her order to cut the flow, beginning last week,
on the lower Missouri River through Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The
agency said the order conflicts with an earlier Nebraska federal court ruling
requiring enough water for barge shipping and power generation.