Though St. Bernard Parish officials organized a community meeting Monday night, parish President Craig Taffaro quickly stepped out of the way and told the 100 or so audience members “this is your meeting.” They went head-to-head with representatives of BP, the Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, covering an array of topics. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Despite AG's position, Corps says no decision made on creating dredged islands
Reports saying that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved an environmental permit needed to create sand barrier islands are false, Corps Public Affairs Chief for New Orleans Ken Holder. “It is correct to say it is still under review,” Holder said in an email to The Lens. Holder said there is nothing else […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Landrieu administration not saying who gets taxpayer-paid take-home cars, credit cards
Despite Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s pledge – and last week’s claim – to be more transparent and accommodating in fulfilling public-records requests, The Lens has yet to get an appropriate response to a trio of week-old requests. The law requires that requested records be provided “immediately” if not in active use; if in active use, public […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics
Five years after Katrina, the return of disaster capitalism?
One month after news of a giant Gulf Coast oil spill began making headlines across the country, aid organizations worry that the region may see an influx of workers seeking cleanup jobs that simply don’t exist. “People are being told they can drive here and apply for jobs and BP will pay for travel and […]
Posted inEnvironment
Boats moored by the BP oil spill, a long-threatened community of black fishers fears for its future
Headed down La. 39 on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish, a few miles down after the Belle Chasse Ferry, drivers pass a tall, white picket fence on the left with a sign that reads “Welcome White Ditch” in a circle around an outline of the state with a pelican inside. A few yards ahead, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Gulf oil spill: Too big to stop- or even watch on a live feed
Hundreds of thousands of people from across the world are logging on to see live video of oil gushing from a broken pipe that is responsible for the gargantuan petrochemical spill in the Gulf of Mexico and increasingly, the coastal wetlands that protect New Orleans. The live video feed, transmitted from 5,000 feet below the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Nungesser says Corps has rejected state’s plea for dredged oil barriers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not allow land barriers to be built to protect the state’s coastline, Plaquemines Parish Billy Nungesser told The Lens today. “They turned it down,” Nungesser said. “They denied the plan to do the barrier islands, so I don’t know, so we’ll have to come up with something else. […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Clearer picture emerges with release of complete Moreno fatal-crash report from 2002
When several news outlets got an anonymous early morning e-mail Thursday describing a fatal two-car accident involving state House District 93 candidate Helena Moreno, a “summary” preceding the report was less than accurate. As explained in The Times-Picayune today, Moreno’s opponent, James Perry, put out a news release repeating some of the inaccuracies or highlighting […]
Posted inLand Use
City tries to address homeowner's elevation hassles
New Orleans city officials this week tried to smooth an uneven policy that makes it tougher – and sometimes financially impossible – for investors to rebuild certain storm-damaged properties. It’s unclear, though, whether the change satisfies two agencies that had suspended sales of affected properties – a decision that put scores of property closings in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Serpas says daughter's beau won't get special treatement
Personal relationships – including his adult daughter’s cop boyfriend – will not influence Ronal Serpas’ implementation of police reform, the New Orleans Police Department Superintendent said Tuesday night after a public meeting with Department of Justice officials. “You are accountable for the actions you take no matter who you are,” Serpas said. The chief said […]