By AP/KWMU
Washington – The National Academy of Sciences is pushing for better management of barge traffic, but not more construction, along the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, at least for now.
The recommendation is another blow to a costly project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Researchers are reviewing a study on whether to modernize locks and dams in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.
The corps began pursuing new construction more than ten years ago.
Efforts have stalled since a whistleblower in 2000 accused the agency of manufacturing a case for the $1 billion expansion.
Earlier, the academy concluded the corps' analysis was flawed, and the Army inspector general said corps officials manipulated their analysis to suit powerful Midwestern agribusiness interests.
The academy is a private organization chartered by Congress to advise the government.