Kansas senator Jerry Moran and congressman Roger Marshall are demanding answers from the Army Corps of Engineers over a policy that caused a delay for a broadband project in Marion County.

Moran and Marshall have sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to get more information on a Corps policy that had a negative impact on a project for the Hillsboro community.

TCT, a company based in Council Grove, had to change the route of a fiber optic cable to avoid Corps-owned land at Marion Lake.  There were requirements in the Corps policy that would have caused significant delays and added costs for the broadband project, so the company changed the route of the cable to avoid applying to the Corps for permission.

Moran and Marshall said in the letter that social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic have caused increased reliance on distance healthcare, learning and employment programs, especially in rural communities.   They said projects to increase the availability and quality of broadband will be critical to keep rural areas connected.