By Matt Chesnes, Treasure Coast Newspapers
In response to the Senate president saying the state should stop building a reservoir meant to curb Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie River, the Army Corps’ Florida commander made it clear: The agency is continuing the project.
The Corps is “100% committed” to completing the $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area project, Col. Andrew Kelly told the Stuart City Commission Monday night.
“We have not delayed. We have not paused. We have not slowed down,” Kelly said. “We’re ready to go.”
Wilton Simpson, a Republican egg farmer from Trilby, called the reservoir a “mistake” while speaking at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s online Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit Dec. 8.
The comments prompted Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, to maintain she will “stay the course” on the project under construction south of Lake O since November 2018. But Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, sounded less sure than Harrell.
The Legislature must cut expenses to offset the coronavirus pandemic’s “fiscal strain,” which could include reviewing the reservoir project, Mayfield told TCPalm last week.
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