LSU tried to discredit Ivor van Heerden and then fired him for speaking out about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ failures with the levees in New Orleans. Now the university is fighting his wrongful termination lawsuit.
Category: Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Eco vs. econo: 11th-hour dispute over plan to spend $20B in BP fines
Up to $6 billion of BP’s fines for the oil spill was supposed to be spent on ecosystem recovery. A behind-the-scenes drama unfolded when new guidelines added “economic recovery” to the approved purposes.
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Can new organization make lead safety a priority for New Orleans?
Halloween disappointed me; I didn’t see any kids dressed up as lead-poisoned blood. They missed a real opportunity too, because high blood-lead levels scare me more than witches or zombies. Nonetheless, this week I was delighted to learn about a new organization dedicated to raising awareness of the city’s lead problem and finding solutions to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Corps didn't follow instructions when installing gauges in canals
The reason some critical water gauges in outfall canals failed during Hurricane Isaac is simple: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers didn’t follow the installation instructions for the sensors. After the 2011 hurricane season, the corps replaced the gauge sensors in the three outfall canals with ones that work by radar. The new sensors, which […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Where’s the outrage over the city’s lead-poisoning problem?
The arrows point to blood cells damaged by lead poisoning. After witnessing the collective outrage over a belated water advisory, I’ve changed my mind. I no longer believe lead-poisoned children should bleed from their eyeballs. Let me explain. On Monday the Sewerage and Water Board announced that a brief power outage had caused water pressure […]
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Failure of canal gauges, other missteps highlight flaws in New Orleans flood system
This post has been updated to reflect new information about installation of the new sensors. The conventional wisdom after Hurricane Isaac was that the post-Katrina repairs and improvements in the levee system worked well. From the floodgates that kept the surge out of the canals in New Orleans to the Lake Borgne barrier that held […]
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Coal facility, Mississippi River diversion project planned for same site
This document from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows the location of a proposed coal-transfer facility and two possible paths for a river diversion, designed to restore wetlands in Plaquemines Parish. Click to enlarge Few would doubt that Louisiana needs both economic development and environmental rejuvenation. At Myrtle Grove, a small river town in […]
Posted inEnvironment, Investigations
Failed pumps at Corps pumping station could increase Mid-City flooding risk
With Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on New Orleans, one of three key Army Corps of Engineers pumping stations that help drain the city during a storm is only at partial capacity – far less than what is needed to keep the Orleans Avenue Canal from filling. The city’s Sewerage & Water Board pumping station […]
Posted inEnvironment
If you suspect illegal lead-paint sanding, who ya gonna call?
Deputy Mayor Michelle Thomas and acting Director of the Department of Safety and Permits Pura Bascos addressed a City Council committee to discuss the permitting process for the removal of lead paint, but they didn’t have all the answers. Although a city ordinance was passed in 2001 detailing the proper procedure for the removal of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Government & Politics
Report reveals divide between "spillionaires" and others in Plaquemines
In Plaquemines Parish, “residents live with disasters,” Richard A. Blink Jr. said Friday, the two-year anniversary of the BP oil spill. But as Blink and others pointed out, some residents live with disaster better than others, and indeed, the oil disaster affected residents differently. Blink, a small-business owner, was among those attending the release of […]