U.S. Audit Cites Agency Fights, Indecision for Everglades Delay

Typography
A project to restore water flows for marshes and prairies in Everglades National Park has mushroomed in cost and suffered delays because of government indecision and inability to communicate, a new federal audit has concluded.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A project to restore water flows for marshes and prairies in Everglades National Park has mushroomed in cost and suffered delays because of government indecision and inability to communicate, a new federal audit has concluded.


The cost of the Modified Water Deliveries Project has risen to nearly $400 million (euro322 million), from $81 million in 1989l, according to Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney. And the project, a predecessor and key component of the much broader state-federal Everglades restoration plan, now may not be finished until 2009 or later.


"Since its inception, the project has been subject to significant delays and escalating costs," Devaney said in the audit released last week.


A key reason is the inability of Interior component agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service to agree on "fundamental planning and design issues" for water control and water depth.


There are also difficulties in communicating with outside groups and other agencies, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, American Indian tribes and Florida state agencies, the audit found.


This has led to disputes that wound up in court fights, further contributing to delays.


Source: Associated Press


Contact Info:


Website :