Get the science right: Diverting river sediment is key to saving the coast
As anglers are discovering in the Wax Lake area, river water and good fishing are not only compatible, they go hand in hand.
Category: Environment
Sediment diversions won’t save the coast — and they’ll be bad news for fishermen
Funneling "Dead Zone" chemicals into state wetlands may be good for the Gulf, but doesn't sound great for fish and aquatic vegetation.
Levee board begs corps to get a 10-year jump on subsidence — at local expense
Savings reach $20 million if levees are raised before they're armored. Subsidence puts area flood insurance at risk.
Sinking levee shows difficulty of protecting New Orleans from flooding
Parts of a 1.1-mile stretch of levee along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway have sunk six inches since it was built. Repairs will cost $1 million. Officials say subsidence is inevitable, and it’s impossible to predict where it will happen.
Levee-board reformers worry that Jindal bringing politics back into process
After experts blamed pre-Katrina political hacks for ignoring safety issues, voters chose to have experts serve on levee boards. But Jindal has a litmus test that critics say undermines the changes: He wants members who will oppose a lawsuit against oil and gas companies for wetlands damages.
Opening of Mississippi River bike path delayed as corps fixes problem
A sharp dropoff from the path to the grass poses a danger to cyclists and runners.
Volunteers use airborne patrols, satellite photos to spot oil spills along Louisiana coast
Since the BP oil spill, a group of environmental organizations has used private boats, planes and even satellite imagery to spot oil spills and report them to the federal government. You may be surprised to learn that they're the only ones doing this.
A quip on Twitter lands me a public audience with Louisiana’s coastal chief, but it could have been worse
I had my chance to put state coastal czar Garret Graves on the spot, but high-caliber attorneys suing oil and gas companies beat me to it.
Live blog: Lawyers suing oil & gas industry defend suit before state coastal authority
Given the state coastal authority's opposition to the suit, Wednesday's meeting could be contentious.
More massive tar mats from BP oil spill discovered on Louisiana beaches
Loaders are lined up along the beaches between Port Fourchon and Elmer's Island to collect massive tar mats. In the past few weeks, 1.5 million pounds of oily sand and mud have been collected from one spot alone. Experts say remnants of the spill will turn up along the coast for decades.
