Upper Mississippi News from Big River Magazine

Big River Magazine
Mississippi River stories and news

May-June 2015

Highlights from this issue

Where can I buy BIG RIVER?

Subscribe with your credit card

Subscribe and pay later

River Links

Big River Advertisers

Buy single and back issues of Big River

Highlights

River Travelers

Back Issues

A Sampling of River News
From May-June 2015 Big River

Master Comments

Rock Island, Ill. – The Rock Island District of the Army Corps of Engineers is seeking input for the revision of its Mississippi River Master Plan. The plan outlines public use of some 55,000 acres of federal land and 314 Mississippi River miles from near Guttenberg, Iowa, to Saverton, Mo., and focuses on the environment, stewardship and recreation.
Critical areas that will not be addressed by the plan include locks, dams and associated infrastructure; flood risk management projects (levees and floodwalls); Mississippi River water-level management; dredging and channel maintenance; and environmental restoration.
A draft of the Master Plan is scheduled to be complete in 2016, when it will become available for public review and comment. The final Master Plan is expected to be completed in fall 2016.
For information on the Master Plan, to submit input or to get email updates and notifications, visit the Corps website or contact the Corps’ Mississippi River Project Office at Mississippi River Project, P.O. Box 534, Pleasant Valley, IA 52767; missrivermp@usace.army.mil; or 309-794-4527. (USACE News Release, 2-20-15)

Faulty Wheel Derails Train

Galena, Ill. — A fiery oil-train derailment near the Mississippi River on March 5 was caused by a faulty wheel, according to Matt Rose, the CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad.
The derailment took place about three and a half miles outside of the historic city of Galena. En route to Chicago, 21 train cars derailed and five caught fire. About 230,000 gallons of crude oil were removed from the damaged cars; 19,000 gallons of an oil-water mix were recovered and recycled; and about 8,000 gallons of water and other liquids used for firefighting and decontamination were recovered.
The Galena derailment was the latest in a series of national disasters involving the supposedly safer model of tank, called the CPC-1232, which the rail industry adopted in 2011.
Residents said they were surprised at how fast the 120 responders arrived on the scene. (La Crosse Tribune, 3-9-15; KWQC, 3-7-15; Dubuque Telegraph Herald, 3-9-15 & 3-20-15)

Prepare to Evacuate

Canadian Pacific (CP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroads are making major investments to upgrade their tracks and connections in the Upper Mississippi River valley, in anticipation of a continued oil boom.
According to documents filed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, BNSF has 12 rail expansion projects planned between St. Paul and the Illinois border, including four miles of new track in La Crosse, Wis. CP has four major projects this year, including an upgrade of its switch yard in La Crescent, Minn., a bridge replacement and new sidings to allow trains to pass on the line that runs south out of La Crescent through Iowa and west to Kansas City. CP anticipates its crude oil shipments will nearly double in 2015.
Meanwhile, people in Minneapolis and the northwest suburbs are worried about plans to build a connector that would double train traffic through densely populated areas that include Theodore Wirth Park, Bassett Creek and the Target Center downtown. In fact, the Hennepin County Board voted with record speed to approve the county’s purchase of some land the railroads wanted to buy to make the connection.
The Minnesota Emergency Management and Homeland Security director has advised all people who live near tracks used by oil trains to be prepared, be aware and have plans in place to evacuate the area. (Camden Community News, April 2015)

Subsidized Carp

Paducah, Ky. — Commercial fishermen in Kentucky will be paid at least 15 cents a pound for Asian carp, thanks to a new subsidy from the state. Until now, some fish processors have paid just eight to 10 cents, not enough for fishermen to break even. The state will give tax incentives to at least three fisheries to process and market the carp to worldwide consumers.
The state announced the subsidy as a way to reduce numbers of the fish in the Ohio River. They have pushed past Louisville and are crowding out native fish, such as bass, bluegill and crappie. The state also acknowledges a growing market for the fish, especially in Asia.
Owners of Fin Gourmet, a Paducah manufacturer of Asian carp food products, plan to invest $1.3 million to open another facility and hire people for 66 new jobs in TriCity, Ky. The state has promised $1 million in tax incentives. (Courier-Journal, 3-16-15; Bowling Green Daily News, 3-18-15)

*********

To read more Mississippi River news and stories, order this issue or find Big River at one of these retail outlets.

Go to Previous River News (Nov-Dec 2014)

Go to Previous River News (Sept-Oct 2014)

Go to Previous River News (July-August 2014)

Go to Previous River News (May-June 2014)

Go to Previous River News (March-April 2014)

Go to Previous River News (Jan-Feb 2014)

Go to Previous River News (Nov-Dec 2013)

Go to Previous River News (Sept-Oct 2013)

Go to Previous River News (July-August 2013)

Go to Previous River News (May-June 2013)