After meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and expressing his constituents’ concerns over Mississippi River issues, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today announced that the Corps will host an informational open house and public discussion on the Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Plan H (Plan H) on December 1, 2010.

“I appreciate the Corps for holding this public gathering so folks living along the Mississippi River can have a chance to voice their concerns on the potential consequences of Plan H,” Luetkemeyer said.  “I am glad to see that the Corps understands the importance of having a transparent and thorough review of this plan that includes input from those individuals who will be directly impacted before it goes any further.”

The public meeting will give residents the opportunity to meet with Corps officials to discuss the Plan H proposal.  This proposal, which has not yet been endorsed by the Corps, could have serious ramifications on the livelihoods of many individuals in Pike, Lincoln, and St. Charles Counties, as low lying areas have the potential to become flood water storage reservoirs for waters from the Upper Mississippi River.  Luetkemeyer and fellow Missouri Congressman Todd Akin pressed for meetings in Pike, St. Charles, and Lincoln Counties during recent meetings with the St. Louis District Commander Colonel Thomas O’Hara.  In an October 26^th letter to Colonel O’Hara, the Congressmen repeated their calls for meetings for these constituencies who have not yet been provided with an opportunity to voice their concerns.

The Corps will host the open house and public discussion on December 1 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Old Monroe, Missouri. The Knights of Columbus Hall is located at 121 Maryknoll Road, Old Monroe, MO, 63369. The open house is set to start at 4 p.m. with the public discussion scheduled for 6 p.m.

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