It does beg the question…, what else have they missed…, downplayed…, ignored…?
On December 19th, 2011 Acting Corps Chief Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. Temple signed Fargo’s much anticipated chief’s report.
Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker joked: “It’s Christmas, right?”
According to the Fargo Forum:
| “If we have a catastrophic flood, the cost would be in the range of $10 billion,”– Senator Kent Conrad
“Spending $800 million (in federal dollars) to be prepared to prevent a loss of $10 billion is money well spent.” – Senator Kent Conrad |
However, Senator Kent Conrad has failed to emphasize the 99.98% chance that a $10 billion catastrophic event MAY NEVER occur.
Mayor Dennis Walaker isn’t offering any empathy or compassion towards the TRUE stake holders for the “lump of coal” being wagged in the faces of every living soul that stands to lose their homes, communities and lively-hoods south of the proposed Fargo Dam and Diversion.
Acting Corps Chief Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. Temple doesn’t appear to realize the lack of real time solid information necessary to generally comprehend the blind procedural mistake that has been made by signing the chief’s report.
On December 22, 2011, the Forum editorial board writes:
| “After years of study, everyone who understands the hydrology and geology of the Red River Valley and the flood threat to Fargo-Moorhead has concluded a diversion and associated flood protection features are the only ways to guarantee long-term flood protection for an urban center of more than 100,000 people.” |
It appears that the Fargo Forums editorial board overlooked Flood Diversion Board of Authority Chairman Darrel Vanyo’s erroneous letter (below) to Richland County Commission. It definitely didn’t make headlines by the Forum’s investigative journalist team.
Ironically, and indirectly, the letter implies that moving the alignment further north would diminish impacts upstream.
For all the brilliant minds in the mix at Fargo’s behest and the USACE, where is the data for the northern alignment ( Page 241-242 FEIS Appendix O ) that was rejected for Fargo’s future development? The northern alignment that could reduce the project cost over $142 million. ($142,000,000)
Excerpt from Page 298-299 FEIS Appendix O:
| Their reasoning for the location of the inlet being further South than the MN alignment was to accommodate the city of Fargo’s current future plans of development and to protect the city from the Wild Rice River flooding to the South. |
March 31, 2011
Dan Thompson
Richland County Commission
820 Birch Ave
Wyndmere, ND 58081-4008Dear Commissioner Thompson:
With the recent presentation by the Corps of Engineers (COE) and the
concerns that may exist with Richland County residents, schools and your
commission, I welcome the opportunity to set up a meeting with you to
discuss any negative impacts of a North Dakota diversion. According to
the COE, their preferred alignment north of Oxbow does not produce any
negative impacts south of Highway 46. However, any movement of
the alignment further south could, in fact, produce a negative impact
in your county.What needs to be considered in setting up a meeting is whether it should
be with all commissioners at a public meeting, or whether a meeting with
one or two commissioners and our county engineers is a better approach.Please call me at (701)306-7560 or call our commission assistant at
(701)241-4609. Once we know your preference, we will set up a meeting.Thank you.
Sincerely,
Darrell Vanyo, Chairman
Cass County Commissioncc: Cass County Commissioners
<< Download PDF of Letter (100kb) >>
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