October 9, 2000

President Clinton vetoed the energy and water appropriations bill, saying it "threatens major environmental harm by blocking our efforts to modernize operations on the Missouri River." Agricultural interests had supported that provision, saying the "spring flood" proposed by the federal government would have harmed production agriculture in the area.

"This anti-environmental rider would not only jeopardize the survival of three threatened and endangered species but would also establish a dangerous precedent aimed at barring a federal agency from obeying one of our nation's landmark environmental statutes," Clinton said in his veto message.

He added, "Additionally, this bill funded scores of special projects for special interests, it failed to provide sufficient funding for priorities in the national interest -- including environmental restoration of the Florida Everglades and the California-Bay Delta, and our strategy to restore endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest. It also failed to fund efforts to research and develop non-polluting sources of energy through solar and renewable technologies that are vital to America's energy security."

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was among those who tried a last-minute plea for Clinton to sign the measure. He said it would "ensure access to the Missouri River for the transportation of agricultural products and protect communities along the river from extensive spring flooding."

In a letter to the President, Grassley said that increased spring water releases easily could cause the Missouri to flood low-lying areas, including farmland and communities. "Floods would cause a severe economic hardship on those affected," he said. "Farmers would be unable to plant crops, and home and business owners would experience property damage."

Last week, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman told Clinton, "Farmers and rural residents are extremely concerned that the increased spring flow in the Missouri River will result in the flooding of their homes, crops and communities -- endangering both their livelihood and safety."

Stallman said in addition to flooding, and the tribulations that accompany such disasters, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management plan, which would combine a spring rise with a split navigation season on the river, would compound the impact on farmers and rural businesses. Because of the Missouri's flow into the Mississippi River and its proximity to grain producers in the Midwest, the Missouri offers producers a key and cost-effective agricultural shipping alternative.