The results are alarming but the levels of toxins detected are well below those considered hazardous for human seafood consumption.
Author Archives: Bob Marshall
From 2013 to 2017, Bob Marshall covered environmental issues for The Lens, with a special focus on coastal restoration and wetlands. While at The Times-Picayune, his work chronicling the people, stories and issues of Louisiana
Posted inEnvironment
Survey: Americans nationwide willing to shell out personally to save our coast
Researcher says he was surprised at how many people said they would help and how much they would commit.
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
New research indicates Mississippi River diversions could harm marshland
The rallying cry for coastal restoration has been, “Put the river back into the marsh.” But a new study shows that fertilizer found in the river could weaken the marsh plants and soil. More troubling is another study that concludes we don’t really know whether these diversions are building land.
Posted inEnvironment
Congress may require Army Corps to assume cost of Lake Borgne gates
The corps would cover 65 percent of the cost — and more importantly, it would manage them.
Posted inEnvironment
Natural river diversion at ‘Mardi Gras Pass’ gains support from political, commercial interests
Alternatives to plugging the crevasse include conduits beneath the levee or a bridge over the gap. These moves would buy time while scientists determine the pros and cons of this “free” diversion project and its potential impact on other projects planned as part of the struggle to rebuild a vanishing coast.
Posted inEnvironment
Local officials losing sleep over weakest link in post-Katrina flood defense
The huge barge has to be moved into place and sunk in order to seal the system from storm surge sweeping into Lake Borgne from the Gulf of Mexico, a process that takes more than nine hours and must begin four days before a hurricane strike is expected. In repeated tests, the barrier has yet to function reliably.
Posted inEnvironment
Coast reclamation advocates warn fight over how to spend BP fines far from over
Coastal restoration costs in Louisiana could devour BP fines in their entirety, but competing interests and other Gulf states are certain to eat into the RESTORE Act funds.
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Forces collide as nature takes a stab at saving a coastal marsh — for free
When the swollen Mississippi broke through to feed a marsh during Carnival 2011, it seemed to some like an alternative to the multi-million-dollar man-made diversion planned nearby. But conflicting views over whether to let ‘Mardi Gras Pass’ run wild are a perfect example of how complex coastal restoration issues can be.
Posted inEnvironment
Top state official rebuts dire warning, insists coast can be saved
Garret Graves, Louisiana’s coastal protection czar, contends that scientists behind a shockingly gloomy federal report are “just misinformed.” He said the state’s master plan allows for adaptation as conditions change.
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
New research: Louisiana coast faces highest rate of sea-level rise worldwide
New technology has revealed that southeast Louisiana is sinking faster than previously known. Combined with rising seas due to global warming, a leading scientist says waters will rise “at least four feet.” With more communities closer to open water, even minor hurricanes could cause catastrophic damage.