On 31 August the US Environmental Protection Agency announced its final decision under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to prohibit construction of the proposed Yazoo Pumps Project in the Mississippi Delta. According to the EPA, it is taking this action following an extensive evaluation of the environmental impacts the project poses to tens of thousands of acres of wetlands and other water resources. The cost of the Yazoo Pumps Project is estimated at USD 220 million for construction, with an annual operational cost of more than USD 2 million. In a prepared statement, the EPA says it is committed to working with other federal and state agencies, and the public, to identify an alternative project for providing improved flood protection in the Mississippi Delta.