Congressman Jo Bonner Joins Congressional Delegations in Urging Alabama, Florida and Georgia Governors to Resume Water Sharing Talks
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, (R-AL), has joined the congressional delegations of Alabama, Florida and Georgia in urging the governors of the three states to resume negotiations for a mutual water sharing agreement.
“Despite the fact that a multi-state compact on water sharing has remained elusive for decades, it is the consensus of the congressional delegations that the interests of the people of the three states would be best served by a mutual agreement, rather than a federally-imposed solution,” Congressman Bonner said.
“I continue to support efforts to restart direct negotiations between the three governors, and I am encouraged by the strong support of this approach by my colleagues in the Alabama, Florida, Georgia congressional delegations.”
On Tuesday, Congressman Bonner joined the full congressional delegations of Alabama, Florida and Georgia in writing Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to press for renewed water sharing talks between the states.
The letter was the result of an October 28, 2009, Capitol Hill meeting in which Bonner, and other members of the congressional delegations reached a consensus that further state-level water sharing discussions are necessary in order to resolve the water crisis.
Letter Text appears below:
Honorable Bob Riley
Governor
State of Alabama
State Capitol
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Honorable Charlie Crist
Governor
State of Florida
State Capitol
Plaza Level 05
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Honorable Sonny Perdue
Governor
State of Georgia
State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Dear Governor Riley, Governor Crist and Governor Perdue:
We write today as the Members of the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Congressional Delegations to urge our Governors to meet as soon as possible to resume negotiations on a water-sharing agreement between the three states regarding the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) system and between Alabama and Georgia regarding the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) system. During our tri-delegation meeting in Washington, DC, on October 28, 2009, a consensus developed among the three Congressional delegations that in order to help resolve this crisis, there must be ongoing discussions and negotiations at the state level. We urge you to act expeditiously on this matter of critical importance to our three states.
As Members of the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Congressional Delegations, we remain committed to the issue and stand ready to assist each of you as you move forward with your negotiations.
Sincerely,