The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday, April 15, the intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Yazoo Basin Reformulation Study, Yazoo Backwater Area.

The notice is the first step in possibly reversing a 2008 EPA veto of a project that would have installed a backwater pumping station in the Yazoo Basin.

The notice elicited praise from the Mississippi Levee Board, which had released a statement last week detailing the devastation caused by persistent flooding in the Southern Mississippi Delta.

In a resolution passed Thursday, April 16, the Levee Board expressed "appreciation to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for moving forward with the Yazoo Backwater Pump Project by releasing … a notice of Intent (notice) to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for this critical project."

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) also praised the Corps of Engineers in a statement released April 16.

“A notice of intent may seem like a small action, but it is very significant," Hyde-Smith said. "It is the first federal action in almost 12 years to reconsider the last remaining unconstructed feature of the Yazoo Backwater Project. I certainly welcome this first concrete display of future progress on pumps."

She added, “I will continue to work with the Army Corps, EPA, and Mississippians to support this effort, and to ensure the Army Corps has the resources needed to complete all the necessary reviews to get the backwater pumps back on track.”

In the notice, published in the Federal Register April 16, the Corps' notice detailed the devastation the region has suffered from recent flooding, along with new data on floodwater impact on the environment.

“In nine out of the last 10 years, the Yazoo Backwater Area has experienced significant flooding," the statement noted.

"In particular, the historic flood of 2019 caused two deaths, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, flooded over 600 homes, and significantly adversely affected the aquatic and terrestrial environment. The recurring flooding has demonstrated the need to complete the Yazoo Area Pump Project feature.”

“The Corps’ justification for moving forward and finishing the project is overwhelming,” Hyde-Smith said. “While this is of no surprise to area residents, I am glad the Corps is sharing this information with the American public, especially to certain environmental interest groups which have in the past somehow jumped to the conclusion that perpetual flooding would be better for the environment than this common-sense flood reduction measure.”

"The Corps of Engineers' Notice summarizes the devastating damage flooding causes to people, the economy and the environment in the Yazoo backwater," the Levee Board proclamation stated.

The notice provides an initial comment period until June 15, 2020. A draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be released and available for public comment in October 2020.

"The Yazoo backwater pumps are the last remaining element in the flood control measures necessary for the Mississippi Delta, according to the Levee Board. "We are pleased that the Corps in now initiating the formal procedures to get this project moving."