[StBernard] Council Rejects Pact With Port Regarding MR-GO

[wannis at da-parish.com]

Council Rejects Pact With Port Regarding MR-GO

November 18, 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro

St. Bernard Council rejects proposed pact with Port of N. O. over MR-GO,
then endorses state legislative resolution to end dredging and restore
marsh.

The St. Bernard Parish Council voted 6-0 Thursday evening to reject a
proposed agreement sought by the Port of New Orleans that would have kept
open the Mississippi River - Gulf Outlet, adding a flood gate, a north
levee and breakers in Lake Borgne for better hurricane protection but also
would have required dredging the channel to 28 feet.

Instead, the Council voted 6-0 to endorse a concurrent legislative
resolution introduced by state Reps. Nita Hutter and Ken Odinet of St.
Bernard and others which asks Congress to stop spending money on dredging
the MR-GO and begin processing the wetlands to marsh status. The
resolution is now making its way through the state House of
Representatives.

A group of about 40 residents who attended the four-hour meeting in a tent
behind the parish government building, applauded both actions by the
Council. During a part of the meeting in which the public was allowed to
voice their opinion, speaker after speaker said the ship channel must be
closed, not dredged, blaming it for the widespread destruction of St.
Bernard during Katrina, which included 125 deaths at last count.

The Council votes frustrated an attempt by the Port of New Orleans to
enter into an agreement with St. Bernard Parish that would have presented
a united front to Congress in an attempt by the Port to keep the MR-GO
open but reduce it to a depth from 36 feet to 28 feet. That would require
dredging the channel because Hurricane Katrina's surge silted it to a
depth of 23 feet, Port officials have said

Gary LaGrange, chief administrative officer of the board of commissioners
for the Port, sought the agreement Tuesday at a Council meeting, saying he
had been in negotiations with St. Bernard Parish President “Junior’’
Rodriguez on a proposed plan that would have a flood gate and a north
levee for the MR-GO, as well as a breaker system for Lake Borgne, the
28-foot depth for the channel and which called for the completion of the
lock project over the Industrial Canal.

The Council declined to enter into an agreement on Tuesday, delaying it to
the Thursday session. The same day the Council voted 6-0 to pass a
resolution that condemned the Port’s solicitation of support for dredging
of the MR-GO.

On Thursday, despite LaGrange saying the port’s primary consideration was
flood protection for St. Bernard, several council members said it didn’t
seem tat way. Council Chairman Joseph DiFatta Jr. closely questioned him
about why the ship channel required 28 feet.

Council members Mark Madary and Lynn Dean emphatically said the channel
must be closed. “Fill it in,’’ Madary said. Also, Council members Judy
Hoffmeister and Kenny Henderson favored closing the ship channel Council
member Craig Taffaro Jr. presented a 6-point closure, including saying
Congress should eliminate all dredging without expressed endorsement of
the St. Bernard Council. It also asked Congress to de-authorize the MR-GO
over 10 years and called for the depositing fill material and supportive
bank structure to begin the narrowing of the channel width and creation of
an environment conducive to redeveloping the marsh needed to slow down
hurricanes.

Rodriguez, who arrived at the meeting after the Council rejected the
proposed agreement with the port, said, “I think it’s a good agreement,’’
and added that a gated structure “in my opinion is the answer.’’ He said
he understood the feelings of the crowd because he has unsuccessfully
fought for 30 years to close the ship channel, but said people should
realize the political reality is it likely won’t be closed. “You are
fooling with the big money people,’’ Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also added that just closing it would not solve the problem
because federal authorities would walk away from any obligation, leaving
St. Bernard vulnerable.

After Rodriguez left the meeting, the Council voted 6-0 to endorse the
pending resolution in the state Legislature.