WRDA was introduced yesterday at 5:50 pm CDT and next Tuesday will be the day for debates and votes until done. **********************TAKE ACTION********************************* TELL YOUR SENATORS TO DIRECT THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT VOTE FOR THE FEINGOLD-MCCAIN AMENDMENTS TO S.728 Last August, Hurricane Katrina hit our coast, killing over 1500 people; displacing thousands more; and causing millions of dollars in damage. In the storm's aftermath, we discovered fundamental flaws in our country's national water resource policies. Now the U.S. Senate is poised to vote on S. 728, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), as early as next week. This bill would authorize and fund hundreds of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects including flood protection, navigation and environmental restoration efforts. But rather than learning from the mistakes made apparent following Hurricane Katrina, S. 728 continues to direct the Corps to work on projects that are fiscally irresponsible and threaten both citizens and the environment. Senators Russ Feingold and John McCain (and others) will offer two critical amendments to S.728 to rectify the many problems in the current bill. The Feingold-McCain Independent Peer Review amendment will require the Corps to submit costly or controversial projects to be reviewed by an independent panel of experts in science and transportation. This amendment will ensure that Corps projects are based on solid engineering, are technically and environmentally sound, and are fiscally responsible. The Feingold-McCain Prioritization amendment will require an independent panel to identify the top priority flood control, navigation, and restoration projects for our country. The panel will share their findings with Congress to guide funding decisions. The last WRDA bill was passed almost six years ago. If S.728 is enacted, it will be many years before we have another opportunity to change the way the Army Corps does business. We must act now to steer the Corps in a new direction. What you can do today will make a difference. Please: Call both your senators and ask them to vote for the Feinold-McCain Independent Peer Review AND the Feingold-McCain Prioritization amendments to S. 728; Send this alert to as many groups and individuals as you can, asking them to help; You can reach your senators in Washington, D.C. by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask to be connected to their offices. Ask to speak to the aide working on the WRDA vote and urge your senators to vote for the Feingold-McCain amendments. -- ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> Deborah Neustadt Des Moines, IA Sierra Club Water Committee, Chair Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee, Member Iowa Chapter, Executive Committee Member, Political Chair - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp