The Associated Press reports that a new levee project proposed for southeast Missouri to help enhance an existing levee structure to protect farmlands in the surrounding area from flooding. The price tag is nearly $200 million. However, several civil rights and environmental groups are vocalizing opposition to a proposed levee project. Civil rights groups allege that the levees would redirect flooding to parts of Illinois that are heavily populated by black people and simultaneously state that the project is a form of welfare to protect agricultural lands at the expense of regional black communities. Environmentalists state that the project would negatively affect wetlands, fish and other wildlife.

The southeast area of Missouri known as the Botheel region is known for continuous flooding and is the section of the state where the levees are erected to protect. The proposed levees are designed to protect that area resulting from a huge flood that took place in Botheel in 2011. The US Army Corp of Engineers state the levees would result in returns much more than the cost of construction. As to affecting predominately black areas, the Corp blasted a hole in one section of the levees resulting from a flood that swamped agriculture lands in order to reduce the threat of flood to Cairo, Illinois whose residents are predominately black. The federal organization has stated similar efforts to protect communities would be taken if warranted.

One spokesperson with the National Wildlife Federation complained that the levees would disturb the natural flow of water from the Mississippi River while draining wetlands. A judge in 2007 rejected the levee enhancement due to environmentalist concerns and no timetable has been set but this is another example of not only environmentalist but Leftist groups holding back construction deemed necessary to sustain life. Not just for agriculture lands but for properties used to cultivate crops for our food supply. The civil rights groups complaints are unwarranted due to the Army Corp of Engineers making efforts as described above to protect Cairo, Illinois.

Environmentalists, ont he other hand, oppose the Missouri levee project because it will benefit humans over nature since the greens value nature as intrinsic. That nature should be valued for values sake. Never mind of course that wetlands would be replenished since the Midwest has high amounts of precipitation throughout the year which, in turn, results in more wildlife as well. Yet environmentalists make every effort to prevent mankind from changing nature to preserve and advance our quality of life.