Dredging at the mouth of Bayou St. John is nearly complete, with the sediment being used to anchor wetlands that will foster wildlife. The dam that was compared to a coronary blockage has been removed, allowing water to pass more freely. Proponents say the project shows how the city can live with the water around us, rather than fight it.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the state is responsible for each piece of the system when the corps says it's done. Local officials say that's like buying a car one piece at a time. Not far in the future, someone will have to pay to upgrade the system to deal with sinking land and rising seas.
The reason: Barry's role in a controversial lawsuit against oil and gas companies.
An independent levee board, a post-Katrina reform believed crucial to the city's future, has fallen prey to Gov. Jindal's opposition to a lawsuit against Big Oil.
Using improved offshore royalties for coastal restoration would still mean taxpayers were paying for the industry's malfeasance.
The diverted fresh water amounts to a river bigger than New York's Hudson. When the river is high, it could undermine levees along the Mississippi, but its impact on Barataria Bay's lucrative fisheries — a flashpoint in the fight over the state's Master Plan for coastal restoration — remains unclear.
The Jindal team's attack on the Flood Authority lawsuit is complex and hard to follow — a sure sign that they've been thrown on the defensive.
Last week, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council approved a plan to spend fines levied on BP for the 2010 spill. So far, however, there's little money in the fund. And even if BP ends up paying close to its maximum penalty of $17.1 billion, it's unclear how much will go to Louisiana.
Attorney General fires off press release, and coastal chief flames attorney on Twitter.
An "olive branch" extended by the levee authority has turned to ashes.
