The New York Times - 30.07.2019

A22 N THE NEW YORK TIMES NATIONALTUESDAY, JULY 30, 2019

tion and infrastructure system,”

said Steve Wellman, the director

of the Nebraska Department of

Agriculture, who said broad in-

vestment was needed to improve

the disaster-prone roads, canals

and dams that help farmers grow

their crops and get them to buy-

ers.

The breach was another blow

for Nebraska, where some $840

who canceled the purchase of a
new Ford F-150 truck to save
money after much of his farmland
outside Gering, Neb., went dry.
“And you would think that the last
shoe had dropped, but it hasn’t.”
In the semiarid hills of the Ne-
braska Panhandle and eastern
Wyoming, where summer rains
are rare, farmers depend on irri-
gation water diverted from rivers
through a network of canals and
tunnels. A portion of that canal
system had for generations nour-
ished corn, sugar beets, pinto
beans and other crops with water
siphoned from the North Platte
River.
That all changed July 17.
Buz Oliver, who grows corn and
hay outside Fort Laramie, Wyo.,
was out checking his crops early
that morning when he noticed

that a nearby cornfield had turned
into a lake. “I can see all that wa-
ter out across my neighbor’s field,
and I’m like, ‘What the heck’s go-
ing on?’ ” Mr. Oliver said.
A climb to the top of a hill re-
vealed a worst-case scenario: Not
far from his property, a roughly
half-mile tunnel that carried wa-
ter through a large hill had col-
lapsed in the night, leaving a
swift-moving current no room to
advance. Within hours, as pres-
sure built, the earthen banks of
the canal had been overwhelmed.
Water busted through with such
force that old-growth trees were
snapped into pieces, fence posts
were ripped from the ground and
cows, with no time to retreat, be-
came stranded on small islands in
their former pasture.
Farmers specialize in contin-
gency planning, but this was a dis-
aster no one saw coming.
The tunnels and canals, though
old, were maintained regularly
and had performed for genera-
tions with few major problems.
Elected irrigation officials in both
states oversee management of the
canal system, which was built by
the federal government. Though
the cause of the breach was not
yet identified, it was raising new
questions about the reliance of
American commerce on decaying
infrastructure. In Nebraska alone,
around $50 million in crops is at
stake.
“The biggest advantage the
United States farmers and ranch-
ers have has been our transporta-

million in crops, livestock and

land were damaged by floods and

blizzards this spring, and where

the governor has issued emer-

gency declarations this year in 81

of 93 counties. Even as fields in

western Nebraska were at risk of

shriveling without hydration,

some farmland in eastern Nebras-

ka remained underwater, and

other flood-damaged fields may

not be usable for planting for

years.

Out in the state’s far west, the

canal failure came at an especially

cruel moment. After soggy fields

delayed planting, farmers spent

heavily this spring on seed and

fertilizer and labor to get their

crops in the ground. By mid-July,

the fields looked promising. Crops

were approaching the point when

irrigation becomes most impor-

tant.

“All the major crops, they are at

peak water use, at a stage we

shouldn’t stress them at all,” said

Xin Qiao, a professor who studies

irrigation at the University of Ne-

braska-Lincoln. Because of the ca-

nal failure, he predicted that farm-

ers could harvest up to 90 percent

less corn, 70 percent less edible

beans and about half as many sug-

ar beets.

Times were already hard. Corn

prices had been low in recent

years, leaving many farmers with

barely enough income to cover

their costs, let alone make pay-

ments on a new tractor or a new

field. Farms filing for bankruptcy

protection rose by 19 percent last

year across the Midwest, the high-

est level in a decade, according to

data compiled by the American

Farm Bureau.

But farmers in the Nebraska

Panhandle and eastern Wyoming

avoided the worst of the spring

flooding, and with corn prices

ticking upward, this felt like the

year when they might finally start

to get ahead. Now they face uncer-

tainty about whether crop insur-

ance will cover their losses, and

the possibility of a monstrous tax

bill to cover a permanent fix for

the canal, which could cost up to

$18 million.

“There will be several of these

producers who won’t be able to

make it through this,” said Steve

Erdman, a Nebraska state sena-

tor and longtime farmer whose

district includes some of the

newly dry land. “They’re going to

lose their farms.”

Most immediately, farmers face

the challenge of salvaging what-

ever they can from this year’s

crop. A temporary repair may get

water moving through the canal

again by mid-August, which

would help. But what they really

need — and what Mr. Erdman has

asked his constituents to pray for

— is rain, and lots of it.

On Saturday afternoon, at his

farm outside Gering, Neb., Pres-

ton Stricker monitored a live view

of the weather radar on the wall of

his office. Nearby, a dry-erase cal-

endar noted July 17 — “Collapse”

— and July 19 — “Water Off” —

when the last bit of irrigation

reached his farm. All the while,

dry heat and a blazing July sun

pounded his corn and beans.

“The beans take one or two

timely rains, and that crop could

turn out pretty good,” Mr. Stricker

said. “With no rain, it could fail

worse.”

A few hours later, the sun re-

treated and a thunderstorm blew

through, dropping about a half

inch of rain on his fields. He was

hoping, he said, for more.

Tariffs, Low Prices, Floodwaters and Now No Water at All

An irrigation canal near Gering, Neb. The collapse of a tunnel that cut off the flow of water has

made a grim growing season worse. “It’s just been event after event after event,” one farmer said.

THEO STROOMER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

From Page A1

A setback for farmers

dependent on aging

infrastructure.

When 20 Democratic presiden-
tial candidates gather for the sec-
ond round of debates on Tuesday
and Wednesday, about half of
them will do so with the under-
standing that it will probably be
their last time debating on the na-
tional stage this election cycle.
The two debates, which will air
on CNN from 8 p.m. until roughly
10:30 p.m. each night, are ex-
pected to be more contentious
than the first set of debates in Mi-
ami last month, when Senator Ka-
mala Harris of California and the
former housing secretary Julián
Castro won plaudits and jumps in
fund-raising with effective attacks
against onstage opponents.
Short of a breakout moment
that turbocharges their grass-
roots fund-raising and public
polling, half the field is in danger
of missing the Democratic Na-
tional Committee’s qualifying
threshold for the next round of de-
bates, scheduled for September.
Officials involved in the cam-
paigns and some of the candidates
themselves have foreshadowed
testier exchanges this week, as 10
candidates take the stage each
night knowing they are fighting
for their political lives.
And indeed the debate lineups,
chosen during a game show-style
live draw on CNN, will provide
ample opportunity for rhetorical
fireworks.

The Lineups

Tuesday’s debate will place the

race’s two liberal front-runners,

Senators Elizabeth Warren of

Massachusetts and Bernie Sand-

ers of Vermont, together at center

stage.

Wednesday’s debate will fea-

ture former Vice President Joseph

R. Biden Jr., under attack for his

past positions on race-related is-

sues, standing between the two

leading black candidates: Sena-

tors Kamala Harris of California

and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Mr. Biden has spent the last

month clashing with both.

The Format

The debates will begin with 60-

second opening statements, fol-

lowed by 60-second responses to

questions posed by CNN’s mod-

erators, Dana Bash, Don Lemon

and Jake Tapper.

CNN will not ask the candidates

“show of hands” questions. And

representatives from the network

have told the campaigns they will

penalize any candidate who “con-

sistently interrupts” by reducing

the amount of time that candidate

has to speak.

The candidates will appear at

the Fox Theater in downtown De-

troit.

The Dynamics

On the first night, CNN’s modera-

tors will undoubtedly seek to draw

distinctions between Mr. Sanders

and Ms. Warren. Others onstage

will also seek to contrast them-

selves with the race’s leading pro-

gressives. Senator Amy

Klobuchar of Minnesota has, in re-

cent interviews, foreshadowed a

resistance to the free college and

Medicare for All proposals pushed

by Mr. Sanders. John Hicken-

looper, the former Colorado gover-

nor, and John Delaney, the former

Representative from Maryland,

oppose socialism and have at-

tacked Mr. Sanders, a democratic

socialist, without much success.

Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana,

who did not qualify for the first de-

bate in June, has said since then

that he would not support extend-

ing federal health care benefits to

undocumented immigrants, sepa-

rating himself from most of the

presidential field.

More prospective sources of

tension might include a battle be-

tween Mayor Pete Buttigieg of

South Bend, Ind., and Beto

O’Rourke, the former representa-

tive from Texas — a conflict Mr.

O’Rourke’s allies have foreshad-

owed in recent days. Ms.

Klobuchar, meanwhile, has barely

hid her disdain for Mr. Buttigieg

and Mr. O’Rourke, who are young-

er and less accomplished than her

but have received far more atten-

tion in the race. And Marianne

Williamson, a self-help author, re-

mains a wild card.

While all 10 candidates debat-

ing on Tuesday are white,

Wednesday’s debate will feature

five people of color, including Ms.

Harris and Mr. Booker, who have

each placed their bets on wresting

the support of black voters away

from Mr. Biden.

There’s little doubt Mr. Biden’s

record on race will be a focus. Ms.

Harris’s broadside during the first

debate against Mr. Biden’s dec-

ades-old position on mandatory

busing to integrate public schools

energized her campaign, while

Mr. Booker last week hit Mr. Biden

for writing the 1994 crime bill, pre-

viewing a line of attack.

Mr. Biden’s advisers have said

he will be more prepared to fight

back Wednesday than he had

been in Miami. His aides pre-emp-

tively criticized Mr. Booker last

week, highlighting his tenure as

the mayor of Newark.

On the stage’s edge, Gov. Jay In-

slee of Washington is expected to

stress his signature issue, climate

change, while Senator Kirsten

Gillibrand of New York may re-

turn to a vague attack she

launched last week in Iowa, when

she accused unnamed presiden-

tial rivals of not wanting to see

women working “outside the

home.”

The Stakes

For candidates like Mr. Inslee and

Ms. Gillibrand, the stakes this

week are enormous. Their fund-

raising pace is well behind what is

necessary to reach 130,000 donors

by September, which candidates

must amass to qualify for the next

round of debates.

Candidates must also receive at

least 2 percent support in at least

four qualifying polls to participate

in the debates, scheduled for Sept.

12 and Sept. 13 in Houston. If 10 or

fewer candidates qualify, the de-

bate will take place on only one

night.

Seven candidates have already

locked down their spots: Mr. Bi-

den, Ms. Warren, Mr. Sanders, Ms.

Harris, Mr. Buttigieg, Mr.

O’Rourke and, as of Monday, Mr.

Booker.

Mr. Castro and Andrew Yang,

an entrepreneur, have enough do-

nors to qualify but need one more

qualifying poll each. Ms.

Klobuchar has crossed the polling

threshold and is on pace to reach

the donor threshold, according to

her campaign, which said Monday

that she had nearly 120,000 do-

nors and was averaging 1,000 new

donors a day.

But no other candidate has met

either benchmark for the Septem-

ber debate, and none of them ap-

pear particularly close. Short of a

breakout moment that translates

into a surge of support over the

next month, this week will be the

last time they appear in a nation-

ally televised debate for this race.

NIGHT 1: JULY 30

Marianne

Williamson

Tim

Ryan

Amy

Klobuchar

Pete

Buttigieg

Bernie

Sanders

Elizabeth

Warren

Beto

O’Rourke

John

Hickenlooper

John

Delaney

Steve

Bullock

NIGHT 2: JULY 31

Michael

Bennet

Kirsten

Gillibrand

Julián

Castro

Cory

Booker

Joseph R.

Biden Jr.

Kamala

Harris

Andrew

Yang

Tulsi

Gabbard

Jay

Inslee

Bill

de Blasio

A High-Stakes Debate for Candidates on the Edge

By REID J. EPSTEIN

WASHINGTON — Senator Ka-

mala Harris of California and Rep-

resentative Alexandria Ocasio-

Cortez of New York on Monday

unveiled legislation aimed at en-

suring that climate change plans

benefit low-income communities.

They described the measure as a

key element of the Democrats’

Green New Deal.

The effort comes as Ms. Harris,

who is running for president, and

other Democratic candidates pre-

pare for a set of debates in Detroit

this week. Racial and economic

disparities on issues ranging from

housing to education are expected

to take center stage.

Ms. Harris, who has yet to re-

lease a comprehensive climate

change plan of her own, has fo-

cused much of her economic

agenda on providing tax credits

and other assistance to low- and

middle-income Americans. This

month, she and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez

introduced a bill designed to help

people with criminal records ob-

tain housing.

The new proposal, titled the Cli-

mate Equity Act, provides a view

of Ms. Harris’s environmental pri-

orities. Under the plan, any envi-

ronmental regulation or legisla-

tion would be rated based on its

impact on low-income communi-

ties, which are disproportionately

affected by climate change be-

cause they are often in flood

zones, near highways or power

plants, or adjacent to polluted

lands known as brownfields.

The rating system would be

modeled after the Congressional

Budget Office score, which meas-

ures the costs of every major

piece of legislation.

“We can’t do anything without a

C.B.O. score, but we never actu-

ally consider if it’s disastrous to

communities as long as it’s reve-

nue-neutral,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez

said in an interview.

The bill would also establish an

independent Office of Climate and

Environmental Justice Account-

ability to represent vulnerable

communities, and create a posi-

tion of senior adviser on climate

justice at “all relevant agencies.”

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was the pri-

mary House sponsor of the Green

New Deal, a nonbinding resolu-

tion that set out a broad vision for

significantly reducing planet-

warming pollution by 2030 while

also guaranteeing millions of new

jobs. She said low-income workers

were often ignored in the climate

discussion.

“One of the tenets of the Green

New Deal is prioritizing vulnera-

ble communities,” she said. “We

have to talk about Flint. We have

to talk about West Virginia. We

have to talk about the Bronx and

we have to talk about the ways cli-

mate change manifests in our

lives.”

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said that she

had not endorsed anyone in the

presidential race and noted that

she had worked with various can-

didates on different aspects of the

climate challenge.

Climate change analysts said

they were encouraged by the bill,

and by the fact that several presi-

dential candidates had recently

made issues of equity more cen-

tral to their discussions of the en-

vironment. Many of the candi-

dates’ early plans for tackling

global warming focused almost

entirely on methods of reducing

greenhouse gas emissions, includ-

ing by establishing a price on car-

bon dioxide, eliminating coal-fired

power plants and investing bil-

lions of dollars in clean energy

technologies.

But in another example of the

growing focus on economic and

racial disparities, Gov. Jay Inslee

of Washington released the final

plank of a five-part global warm-

ing plan on Monday, aimed at new

federal policies to prioritize low-

income areas and communities of

color. Mr. Inslee, who has made

climate change the top issue of his

presidential campaign, also called

for a way to score, or screen, fed-

eral environmental decisions and

proposed a new office dedicated to

environmental justice.

Tom Steyer, the billionaire for-

mer hedge fund investor who also

is running for president, last week

released his own “justice-cen-

tered” five-pillar plan for tackling

climate change focused on pro-

tecting low-income communities.

The new plans “send an impor-

tant signal,” said Mustafa Ali, who

ran the Environmental Protection

Agency’s environmental justice

office under the Obama adminis-

tration.

“They are timely and they are

needed,” he said, “and they help us

to begin to think critically about

the steps that are going to be nec-

essary to protect people’s lives in

the moment, and in these chal-

lenges that are rushing at us at a

very quick pace.”

Ms. Harris also released her

health care plan on Monday,

proposing a system that would

provide Medicare for all Ameri-

cans but allow people to choose

private plans modeled on Medi-

care Advantage.

Climate Plan

Aims to Aid

‘Vulnerable’

Communities

By LISA FRIEDMAN