Baton Rouge, La. — Mayors from 10 states alongside the Mississippi River convened in Louisiana’s capital this week to announce a cooperative settlement between the working river’s ports. 

On the town for the annual Mississippi River Cities & Cities Initiative (MRCTI) assembly, the mayors additionally known as upon the subsequent U.S. President to prioritize a number of federal coverage modifications to help the 105 cities represented by the initiative. 

On Wednesday, mayors from the Midwestern Corn Belt joined mayors from Louisiana to signal the Mississippi River Ports Cooperative Endeavor Settlement. The settlement is the primary to make sure cooperation between the inland ports within the coronary heart of the corn belt and the coastal ports of Louisiana that export 60% of the nation’s agricultural merchandise.

The inland ports between St. Louis and St. Paul weren’t federally acknowledged till 2022, mentioned Robert Sinkler, govt coordinating director of the Corn Belt Ports. With the help of MRCTI, the Corn Belt Ports initiative launched in 2019 to advocate for federal recognition of these ports.

Now, the corn belt and coastal ports will tackle commerce-related coverage actions collectively, for the primary time in Mississippi River historical past, mentioned Sinkler. The river strikes almost one trillion {dollars} in product by way of its ports yearly, in line with MRCTI. Sustaining the navigation functionality on the river is a key a part of the settlement. 

Drought disrupts commerce and consuming water alongside the Mississippi River hall

For the third yr in a row, the Midwest is beneath excessive drought situations, which have led to low water ranges that threaten to disrupt barge transports carrying gasoline and grain. The 16-month drought spanning from 2022 to 2023 value the nation $26 billion. The drought of 2012 value the Mississippi River hall $35 billion.

Belinda Fixed, mayor of Gretna, Louisiana, mentioned that droughts usually value greater than floods, however don’t qualify as “main disasters” worthy of reduction from the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA). 

“We nonetheless usually are not in a position to seize federal catastrophe declarations for drought or intense warmth,” Fixed mentioned. 

Whereas drought shouldn’t be thought of a “main catastrophe” by FEMA, the president can declare one. President Joe Biden declared a federal emergency final September in Louisiana when the consequences of drought prompted salt water to intrude up the Mississippi River and threaten consuming water.

FEMA shouldn’t be set as much as present reduction for intense droughts or excessive warmth, that are anticipated to turn into extra excessive, in line with the Fifth Nationwide Local weather Evaluation. The federal authorities does provide help by way of different companies, akin to farm losses by way of the U.S. Division of Agriculture. 

Fixed requested the subsequent U.S. President to replace FEMA rules to incorporate droughts and excessive warmth. Earlier this summer season, dozens of labor and environmental teams filed a petition to push FEMA to declare excessive warmth and wildfire smoke as “main disasters,” on par with different pure disasters akin to floods and tornadoes. 

Fixed mentioned the subsequent administration also needs to create a mechanism to incentivize or compensate producers and farmers who recycle water or cut back water utilization throughout dry durations. 

Louisiana is once more coping with drought. As of September 13, 2024, the saltwater wedge had reached river mile 45, corroding consuming water infrastructure under Port Sulphur and inching towards Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana. Earlier this week, the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers started building on an underwater sill close to Myrtle Grove to assist sluggish the creep of saltwater intrusion for the third summer season in a row. 

However the drought impacts all communities alongside the Mississippi River, not simply these in southern Louisiana. And 50 cities with a complete inhabitants of 20 million individuals rely on the Mississippi River for his or her consuming water.

“Memphis depends upon the well being of the hall to energy our worldwide port and gasoline our multi-billion-dollar out of doors recreation and tourism trade,” mentioned Paul Younger, mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. The match fishing trade is value billions in income. 

“It’s vital we work to safeguard the Mississippi River collectively,” he added.

Advocating for the Mississippi River hall as an entire

The 105 cities represented by MRCTI additionally known as on the subsequent U.S. President to advocate for the hall each at house and internationally. “We’re asking the subsequent president to please work with us to enact a federal Mississippi River program by way of which we will deploy infrastructure spending at a multi-state scale,” mentioned Hollies J. Winston, mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. 

On the worldwide stage, MRCTI has advocated for the Mississippi River hall at 5 United Nations local weather conferences. Bob Gallagher, mayor of Bettendorf, Iowa, known as on the subsequent President to make sure that the nation stays part of the Paris Settlement to maintain the hall’s $500 billion in income.

“Serving as a previous co-chair of MRCTI together with being from an agricultural state, I do know firsthand that U.S. participation within the Paris Accord helps us compete and transfer our commodities and items the world over to different markets,” mentioned Gallagher. 

Pulling out of the Paris Settlement might set off tariffs for items coming from a non-signatory nation. Leaving the worldwide local weather accord would place farmers and producers at a possible drawback within the world market, mentioned Gallagher.

In 2017, President Donald Trump introduced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Local weather Accord. In 2021, on President Biden’s first day in workplace, the U.S. rejoined the worldwide settlement to restrict temperature will increase.

“We are able to’t afford to make any coverage choices that may jeopardize the $164 billion in agricultural commodities the Mississippi River makes potential yearly,” mentioned Gallagher. 

Mitch Reynolds, mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and MRCTI co-chair, mentioned that the advocacy work of the initiative is paramount to defending the well being of the river and its communities. 

The Mississippi River Ports Cooperative Endeavor Settlement unites the communities alongside the hall in a shared dedication to guard, restore and handle the river’s assets sustainably, mentioned Sharon Weston Broome, mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and host of the initiative’s thirteenth annual assembly.

“We urge the subsequent administration to extend its concentrate on the river, its affect on the nationwide financial system and its continued want for stewardship,” mentioned Broome.

This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an unbiased reporting community based mostly on the College of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with main funding from the Walton Household Basis. MRCTI can also be a Walton grantee.

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