Senate Vote Threatens Endangered Species on the Missouri River

 Environmental Defense today expressed dismay that the US Senate voted to permit the extinction of three endangered species on the Missouri River. The Senate today voted to reject an amendment sponsored by Senators Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Max Baucus (D-MT) to remove a “rider” on the energy and water appropriations bill blocking reformed management of big dams on the Missouri River.

“Rarely has the survival of a species been so cavalierly thrown away for such trivial economic reasons,” said Tim Searchinger, attorney for Environmental Defense. “This is a case where the reforms necessary to save these species, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, would have virtually no economic costs and probably would have real economic benefits overall.”

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that without modest efforts to reestablish higher spring and lower summer flows on the Missouri River, the pallid sturgeon, the least tern, and the piping plover are likely to go extinct.

“Senators Daschle and Baucus deserve great praise for their eloquent and careful setting forth of the facts in this debate,” said Searchinger. “Senators William Roth, Jr. (R-DE) and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) also deserve credit for defying partisan pressure and casting a sound vote to uphold environmental law.”

“It will now be up to the Administration to continue to make clear that it will veto this bill if this species death threat remains after coordination with the House of Representatives,” said Searchinger.