Hearing on blowing Birds Point levee moved to 1:30 p.m. today

A federal judge in Cape Girardeau was scheduled to hear arguments at 1:30 p.m. today on whether to block the Army Corps of Engineers from detonating explosives that will destroy portions of the Birds Point levee in Mississippi County.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who filed the lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday, was expected to argue the state's case before Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. at the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau.

In his lawsuit, Koster says the Corps does not have authority to blow the levee and violates the state's Clean Water Law.

"In essence," the lawsuit says, "the floodway is a huge swath of land that the United States government has decided to sacrifice to flooding in order to protect other areas that it considers more valuable."

Also in attendance at the hearing were city officials from Cairo, Ill., including mayor Judson Childs and former mayor James Wilson, who is currently the executive director of the housing authority. Wilson said this morning he may be called as a witness to tell the court that blowing the levee will save homes in Cairo.

Also expected to attend the hearing was U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, who opposes blowing the levee, along with representatives from the state's Department of Natural Resources.

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