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Can coastal Louisiana and New Orleans be saved?
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In response to a blog posted by Paul Brown on the Huffington Post a few days ago, Garland Robinette of WWL radio in New Orleans examined the topic of the survival of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana. Paul Brown had interviewed General Van Antwerp, US Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers and flat out asked him if New Orleans should be abandoned. The General did not directly answer the question, but admitted that they cannot protect the city from hurricane storm surges, but can reduce risk and increase protection through and improved levee protection system.
Garland continued the discussion today on his radio talk show via a phone interview with Garret Graves, Director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities and advisor to Governor Bobby Jindal (R). Garland said that some of his Cajun friends feel it is too late for some coastal communities to be saved. When Garland asked Garret if there was any truth to these assertions, Garret responded in the affirmative. He went on to offer that it is time for strategic planning and decisions for which communities can be saved and which will ultimately sink and erode into the Gulf of Mexico. Talk of such necessary decisions has been avoided by all legislators in Louisiana. Decisions of who will receive efforts of protection and restoration and who will not would certainly be political suicide. Garret went on to note that restoration does not mean replacing the footprint of Louisiana from some point in the past, but to try and restore a sustainable land building and dynamic coast.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, some experts reasoned that there were 10 years of less to produce some meaningful restoration of the Louisiana coast before hitting a tipping point of know return. Beyond that time, there may not be enough of the coast left to restore some version of a coast not only formerly rich in natural resources, but also the gateway to over 35% of the nation’s oil and gas. General Van Antwerp says the Corps can’t protect the City of New Orleans, but can reduce the risk to surges. Garret Graves states that restoration is still possible, but only in certain areas. Both positions seem plausible. However, over 4 years after Katrina and Rita, and 4 years into the 10 year horizon to get meaningful restoration in place, sufficient appropriations to fund restoration have not been made. It is time to appropriate the necessary funds, and, for our politicians and planners to step up with a strategic plan for which communities can be saved and protected. At the present, there is not enough money in hand and time is quickly running out.
For more information: US Army Corps cant stop floods in New Orleans
Read More: LA CPRA discusses levees at meeting, President Obama promises gulf coast recovery, Dont forget our coast, President Obama
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