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July 15, 2011 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson met with farmers, examined a wastewater plant which had been flooded and toured an Omaha Public Power District power plant to get a firsthand look at the impact of the 2011 flooding around Nebraska City.
“As the 2011 floods continue, I’m maintaining a close watch on their impact on our state. We know the Missouri River will be at high levels for a long time,” Senator Nelson told a group of farmers and city officials in Nebraska City. “Nobody can say when it will end, and that’s a challenge for anybody whose land is inundated, or if it’s affected the municipal government’s water treatment and, of course, there’s the utility. They’ve raised railroad track levels and road levels.
“I’m here to hear what your concerns are and see if there’s a way to respond to them,” he added.
“No question, this year’s flooding has caused a lot of hardship and heartache for our farmers, communities and utility providers. I’ll make sure their voices are heard in Washington when it comes time to repair and recover from this tough season of historic floods.”
Nelson met with farmers and city officials at the police station in Nebraska City.
“Nebraskans who have crop insurance and have suffered losses should receive timely payments so they can get back into their fields as soon as possible. Their jobs are critical to the success of Nebraska’s economy,” he said.
Nelson has written to the Obama Administration supporting requests for disaster aid made by Gov. Heineman to address the impact of the floods on communities and individuals in Nebraska. Approval of disaster aid could enable them to access federal resources to clean up after the floodwaters recede and to help pay for costs incurred fighting the floods.
Senator Nelson also examined the city’s wastewater plant which was forced to shut down for several days this year because of flood complications. He also toured OPPD’s coal-fired electricity generating plant near Nebraska City. Both the city and OPPD may seek federal disaster aid for cleanup and costs of combating the flooded Missouri River.
According to media reports, OPPD has spent $26 million so far fighting the Missouri River flood and may be seeking federal disaster aid to help minimize possible electric rate increases to cover its flood costs. Senator Nelson discussed this issue during his tour. OPPD provides electricity to 754,000 people in Southeast Nebraska, including the Omaha metro region.
“I’ve worked to provide oversight of federal agencies’ response to the floods. I’m now also turning my attention to how I can help with flood repair and recovery,” said Nelson.
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