KKTV By NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press 5/7/2020
A construction firm promoted by President Donald Trump to build his signature border wall violated American treaty obligations with a private border fence next to the river separating Texas and Mexico, a U.S. agency has found.
The International Boundary and Water Commission found that Fisher Industries' 3-mile (4.8 kilometer) fence of steel posts just 35 feet (10 meters) from the Rio Grande could worsen flooding and called on the company to make changes to the project. The IBWC released a copy of its letter to Fisher Industries on Wednesday.
Fisher Industries built the fence in January after a federal judge lifted a restraining order originally sought by the nonprofit National Butterfly Center. The fence is far closer to the riverbank than government border walls in the region, some of which are a mile or more away from the water. That's because the U.S. and Mexico have agreed to share water and electricity generated by the Rio Grande. Significant construction in the floodplain could change the flow of water and potentially damage communities on either side.
The commission did not call on Fisher Industries to take down the fence. Instead, it asked the company to install gates, realign the fence, or consider other ways to mitigate potential flooding.
More:
https://www.kktv.com/content/news/Agency-finds-private-border-wall-violates-Rio-Grande-treaty-570268731.html?ref=731
