Katrina 3-Year Coverage: Engineers to review post-Katrina pumps in New Orleans

By Desiree Evans / August 25, 2008

The Associate Press reports that the Department of Defense plans on hiring an independent engineering company to review allegations that the Army Corps of Engineers let a contractor install faulty pumps after Hurricane Katrina despite a warning that they might fail

A whistleblower has said that the pumps installed after Hurricane Katrina weren't adequately tested and might fail during a big storm. Corps engineer Maria Garzino cautioned in early 2006 that the pumps would not work properly. She went on to say they were the wrong size and might self-destruct when started, had a flawed hydraulic system and would fail under a hurricane's stress. Garzino wrote that her inspection found that more than 40 percent had failed or were failing, the AP reports.

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