Going old school to save the Locks
March 21st, 2019 Aiken Standard
“We delivered a letter to the Secretary of the Army expressing our concern about the process and the fact that, you know, the Corps needs to listen to the community. So we went right to the top,” Congressman Rick Allen said.
April 10, 2019 Augusta Chronicle
Georgia and South Carolina congressional leaders sent a strongly worded letter to top leaders of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a proposed plan that might significantly lower the pool of water in the Savannah River between Augusta and North Augusta.
May 14, 2019 North Augusta Star
North Augusta Mayor Pettit mentioned a letter, written and signed by U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and Rep. Joe Wilson from South Carolina, along with Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and Rep. Rick Allen from Georgia. He said the letter was sent to the Undersecretary of the Army, saying the intent of the language in the legislation that guides the Corps was to maintain the current pool elevation.
“With the letter that the four senators and two representatives signed, I think we’re on an ascending curve toward a viable solution that would benefit our communities,” Pettit said.
June 26, 2019 Augusta Chronicle
U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who met with Hibner earlier this month, sent a letter to the Corps’ leadership saying the preferred alternative “does not appear to meet the requirements of the plain text of the legislation or the intent of Congress when it passed the WIIN Act. Communities like North Augusta and Augusta have invested millions in improvements along their waterfront, and to say that Congress intended to thwart the economic growth by eliminating or severely hampering access to the river would be wrong.”
August 6, 2019 Congressman Allen appearance on the Austin Rhodes Show
“Therefore we sent a letter to the Corps demanding (chuckles) that they and NOAA demanding that they come up with an option that maintains the pool. Well, you know the only option is to reauthorize the Lock and Dam and provide for some way for those fish to either get through it or around it or, as per the original plan.”
“Joe Wilson and I are working together on this thing and he delivered a letter to the Secretary of the Army who is now the Secretary of Defense. Stating our, uh, concern with their lack of not only (chuckles) being truthful with members of congress but also the fact that they must obey the law, so we’ll see what happens.”
October 3rd, 2019 Congressman Allen on WJBF
“We fired-hit off-with a letter to the Corps highlighting the peer review.”
