The House of Representatives voted to override (361 – 54) President Bush’s veto of a bill that would fund needed fixes to the Wolf Creek Dam and other waterway and infrastructure projects. All of the Tennessee delegation voted in favor of the bill except for Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN 7th).
YES - Davis, David; Tennessee, R-1st
YES - Duncan, John J.; Tennessee, R-2nd
YES - Wamp, Zach; Tennessee, R-3rd
NO – Blackburn, Marsha; Tennessee, R-7th
YES – Davis, Lincoln; Tennessee, D-4th
YES – Cooper, Jim; Tennessee, D-5th
YES – Gordon, Bart; Tennessee, D-6th
YES – Tanner, John S.; Tennessee, D-8th
YES – Cohen, Steve; Tennessee, D-9th
Earlier this year, the Army Corps of Engineers found “significant potential for failure of Wolf Creek Dam” (view .PDF) with “catastrophic” results including “loss of life.”
Failure of Wolf Creek Dam would be catastrophic. Loss of life is expected to exceed one-hundred lives. Economic losses are estimated in the billions with damages as distant as Nashville, Tennessee expected to exceed $2 billion. A Memorandum for Record with the subject line “Wolf Creek Dam Interim Risk Reduction Measures” was signed on 19 January 2007. This document outlined the decision to lower Lake Cumberland to elevation 680 ft immediately and to hold that elevation for an indefinite period, unless and until the Corps determines that a different pool elevation is more appropriate.
[WOLF CREEK DAM/LAKE CUMBERLAND EMERGENCY MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO SEEPAGE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT - Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District - 10-07 (.PDF - 6MB)]
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. Yet more evidence she’d rather carry the President’s water than provide for the safety of Tennesseans.