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Listening Sessions for the Mississippi Delta 2000 Initiative

Release Date: 9/30/1999
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of the Interior will join in listening sessions to hear the public's thoughts and ideas about advancing economic opportunities in the Mississippi delta region as part of the Mississippi Delta 2000 Initiative. Public input will help guide and focus the government's activities in the next five years.

     The Mississippi Delta 2000 Initiative brings together federal, state and local governments with private sector groups and communities to identify what they are doing to effect change in the region and where more assistance is needed.

     Each listening session will provide opportunity for public comment on four topics: (1) Human Capital Development; (2) Environmental, Natural and Physical Assets; (3) Business and Industrial Development; and (4) Equality and Social Issues. The first listening session was held Saturday, Sept. 25, 1999, in West Memphis, Ark. Three more sessions will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates at the locations below.

Friday, October 1 
Southern University
Smith Brown Memorial Student Union, The Ballroom
Jesse North Stone Road
Baton Rouge, La.

Saturday, October 2 
Vicksburg High School
3701 Drummond St.
Vicksburg, Miss.

Monday, October 4 
Southeast Missouri State University
Showme Center
N. Sprigg St.
Cape Girardeau, Mo.

     At the Oct. 1 listening session, the EPA will announce its grant to help the Town of Grand Isle, La., provide clean, safe drinking water to its residents and support fire protection. The project establishes a 32-mile pipeline to transport water from Lafitte to Grand Isle, a pump station in Lafitte and two one-million-gallon water storage tanks. EPA's $3,045,000 grant contributes to the project cost of $17,270,000. Other funds were provided by the Rural Utility Service of the Department of Agriculture and the state of Louisiana.