Reform Of Army Corps Of Engineers Called For By Environmentalists

The heads of seven national environmental organizations today sent letters to President Clinton and key Senators encouraging them to support two important reforms of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The letters support a recent directive by Army Secretary Louis Caldera to re-establish civilian oversight of the Corps. They also support a draft Presidential order to require that the Corps meet the same standards for protecting wetlands as other government agencies and private developers, and follow the same policies to discourage development in floodplains.

The seven group leaders represent Environmental Defense, American Rivers, the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, the Izaac Walton League, the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club.

“The Corps of Engineers should abide by the same environmental rules and public policies as the rest of government,” said Tim Searchinger, senior attorney with Environmental Defense. “These standards and oversight protect taxpayers and our environment.”

Army Secretary Caldera issued his directive on March 30th, but delayed its implementation a week later under pressure from three powerful Senate committee Chairmen, Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) of the Appropriations Committee, Senator John Warner (R-VA) of the Armed Services Committee, and Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) of the Environmental and Public Works Committee. Two weeks ago, the press reported that President Clinton was considering a separate order to the Corps and other agencies to require that their projects better reflect national policy on protecting wetlands and floodplains.

These developments follow recent press disclosures of evidence that top Corps officials attempted to “cook the books” to justify a $1 billion project to expand the barging system on the Upper Mississippi River. The press has also disclosed evidence of a comprehensive strategy by top Corps officials, unknown to civilian overseers, to inflate the Corps’ budget by 50% in part by justifying large new projects.