President Obama: Don't fund the Army Corps' Delaware River deepening project.

Don't fund the Army Corps' Delaware River deepening project.

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: President Barack Obama.

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Don't fund the Army Corps' Delaware River deepening project.

Deepening the Delaware River inflicts tremendous environmental harm, is an economic loser for taxpayers, and puts in place dangerous precedent if funded.

Congress put a moratorium on earmarks to help ensure that funding decisions were made on the basis of project merit, not political muscle. “No earmarks” was supposed to lead to greater transparency and accountability. Inexplicably, Pennsylvania and Delaware senators are trying for an end-run around the ban by pressuring the President to provide funding directly in his budget. This effort is despite reviews, reports and testimony from Congress’ independent investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office, that the purported economic benefits from deepening are not justified. The senators’ end-run effort is also despite that the same report the Army Corps of Engineers is using to justify the project also documents that the ports of the region can be equally served at the 40 foot depth, and likely for less cost. Deepening will cost taxpayers $277 million, and in the best case scenario will only generate $13.6 million a year of income. However, a nationally recognized expert has documented in recent weeks that it is more likely the deepening project will actually lose money.

Deepening may also cost the jobs that depend upon a healthy and clean Delaware River: like jobs in the oyster industry that generate $80 million of income a year. Also at risk are wetlands that help protect communities from storm damage; horseshoe crabs whose blood (drawn non-lethally) provides a testing substance that ensures vaccines used across the country are free of poison contamination; horseshoe crab spawning success needed to ensure enough eggs each year critical for successful migration of many species of bird including 4 already on the path to extinction; the genetically unique population of Atlantic Sturgeon that live in the Delaware River of which there may be less than 300 left; and the quality of the Delaware River that will suffer the reintroduction of toxins and heavy metals long held captive in sediments on the River floor.

To ensure tax dollars are only spent on money makers, not bailout political projects, the Office of Management and Budget, at the President’s behest, has required at least a $2.50 return for every $1 spent – and refuses to fund projects that lose money. Deepening the Delaware will likely lose money, it will not bring increased goods up the River, and it is not necessary to support a growing and thriving port. But it will cost the health of the Delaware River and its critical ecosystems; it will result in a cost and loss to communities that depend upon the River for food, safe vaccines, jobs, recreation, storm protection, drinking water and more.

Senators who try to skirt the ban on earmarks to service this project are doing so for purely political gain, not because it is the right thing to do for the country. There are many other projects worthy of taxpayer investment – including deficit reduction and a balanced budget – this is not one of them.

President Obama should not provide any funding or any support for deepening the Delaware River, neither should any senator in the River's region or our country.

To learn more go to www.delawareriverkeeper.org

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Sincerely,

[Your name]