Corps report on Cat 5 protection of New Orleans delayed again
The Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday that it will release its final report on providing Category 5 protection for southern Louisiana on Aug. 31st. This will come almost two years after the deadline initially set by Congress, and the third announced delay.
Gulf Coast advocates are criticizing the latest in a string of delays and the continued sluggish pace set by the Corps -- a pace that Gulf advocates say leaves Louisiana vulnerable to future hurricanes.
As the Times-Picayune editorial staff explains:
For Louisiana, every lost month is critical, especially since a fast-track provision for corps-approved projects that Congress approved in 2007 will expire in 2010.
"Had this report been completed in December 2007, as required by law, it is very possible that Category 5 hurricane protection projects recommended by the corps could have shovels in the ground and be under way already," Sen. David Vitter said. Every month's delay increases the possibility of further obstruction down the road, he said.
The agency was supposed to deliver a concrete, flexible plan to protect Louisiana from the most intense storms -- something that Congress could have approved quickly, avoiding further delays.But that's not what Congress is going to get from the corps. Instead, the agency will present five groups of alternative plans for each of the five different regions of the coast. That means lawmakers will have to study and debate a lengthy list, further delaying action.
"To date, the corps has missed every deadline on issuing the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration report," Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu told the Times-Picayune. "It is my hope that with this extra time and a new administration, the corps is assembling a more precise and thorough plan."
