Pressure to seek a rapid solution to Juneau’s glacial outburst flooding woes was among the notable moments faced by President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Army Corps of Engineers during a Senate hearing this week.
An exchange between nominee Adam Telle and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) about upholding a Trump executive order to nix any federal rules that “delay any critical project in the state of Alaska” occurred Wednesday during what Politico called “an otherwise staid hearing” by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Telle pledged to seek a flooding fix that can be done “in an expedited manner,” but with no specifics about what that solution might be or how long it would take.
“This is an issue that is brand new, as far as I understand it to be, in terms of flood risk management and it’s going to require creativity,” Telle told Sullivan. “The Corps of Engineers was made to solve tough problems. I look forward to working with you, with the surrounding communities, to try to solve this challenge.”
Telle is Trump’s nominee for assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, making him also responsible for overseeing the Corps of Engineers. Telle is currently chief of staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennesee) and has held several other Senate staff jobs.
Sullivan, accusing “radical far-left environmental groups” of seeking to stop projects such as new roads, asked Telle about his commitment to the executive order for statewide projects in general.
“When I visited your office, I tattooed the executive order that the President issued on Alaska on my heart,” Telle replied.
Among Sullivan’s points of contention are previous statements by Corps of Engineers experts that researching and implementing a solution to Juneau’s annual glacial outburst floods may take about a decade. Such floods have occurred at record levels the past two years, damaging more than 300 homes and other infrastructure, and scientists say similar flooding is probable in future years.
A semipermanent levee of HESCO barriers — provided free by the Corps of Engineers, with the city responsible for installation costs — is being installed along the Mendenhall River with the expectation the barriers will provide up to a decade of protection while a more permanent fix is implemented. But some residents in the affected area have expressed frustration with that approach for reasons that include the presence of the barriers on their properties and questions about their effectiveness, and they have found a sympathetic ear with Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III (R-Alaska) who has called the decade-long timetable unacceptable.
Officials with the Corps of Engineers, as well as the City and Borough of Juneau which is being advised by a multitude of agencies, emphasize there are regulatory, safety and practical problems with trying to hastily implement a so-called permanent solution.
Among the possibilities discussed are a drainage tunnel from the Suicide Basin ice dam through a mountain, blasting to partially fill the basin with rocks so it has a lower water capacity or a levee around Mendenhall Lake that would curb the flow of excess water into the Mendenhall River. Officials say comprehensive studies of the impacts not just to the current flood area, but other areas that could be affected by such changes, are needed to ensure they are safe.
Also, because Suicide Basin, Mendenhall Glacier, Mendenhall Lake and much of the surrounding area is U.S. Forest Service land there are strict environmental and other rules regarding development. Such regulations, of course, are among those being targeted by Sullivan and other officials claiming they are at odds with Trump’s executive order.
“We’ve had this flooding that pretty much happens now every summer,” Sullivan told Telle. “It’s amazing it hasn’t killed anybody. We need the Corps’ help, right? This is a unique challenge. The Corps is uniquely qualified to help us. You can’t have flooding. I went and toured where this happened this past summer. Over 200 homes were flooded. We’ve got to fix it and the Corps initially said, ‘Well, senator, we’re going to work on this. We think it’ll be 10 years to study and fix this.’ Say what? That is the wrong answer. Can you commit to me — and really importantly — the citizens of Juneau, Alaska, that the Corps is going to bring its best minds in a very rapid way to help address this unique challenge that we really need the Corps’ help on?”
After Telle provided his “it’s going to require creativity” response, Sullivan asked “In an expedited manner, not 10 years?”
“In an expedited manner, senator,” Telle replied.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
