[StBernard] " Thanks to the Corps of Engineers, St Bernard is a Spillway"

[Westley Annis]

" Thanks to the Corps of Engineers, St Bernard is a Spillway"

 

This banner has graced the St. Bernard Voice's front page for months now.
What does it mean?   For those of us who watched the waves crashing over the
western levee of the Industrial Canal, the answer should be obvious.   St.
Bernard, the Lower 9th Ward, and New Orleans East are going to be sacrificed
to save the City of New Orleans.

 

How can this be?  Just look at the plans for closing the MRGO.   The Corps
of Engineers plans to build a barrier at the junction of the MRGO and the
Intercoastal Water (IWW).  This would keep the storm surges from entering
the Industrial Canal and threatening New Orleans.

 

The impact on St. Bernard and surrounding areas should be obvious.  Just
look at the history of storm surges.

 

In Hurricane Betsy, St. Bernard first flooded when the eastern levee of the
Industrial Canal breached and floodwaters from Lake Pontchartrain entered
the Lower 9th Ward then rushed into St. Bernard.  The newly completed MRGO
added to the problem placing much of our parish underwater.

 

In Hurricane Katrina, much the same happened.   The east levee of the
Industrial Canal breached at about 6:50 in the morning flooding that
community then moving rapidly into St. Bernard.  Speak with those who stayed
and all will tell you that the initial water came from the east.  Later, at
about 8:00 am when the wind turned north, the surge from Lake Borgne smashed
through the poorly constructed levees along the MRGO and that totally
inundated St. Bernard.

 

The Corps of Engineers Plan is to build an obstruction across the IWW and
the MRGO.  This would inhibit water from entering the Industrial Canal thus
preventing the type of television footage we all witnessed in Gustav.
But.where would that water go, because it must go somewhere?

 

In effect that water would run up against the new obstruction, build up then
overthrow the levees on both the St. Bernard and New Orleans East sides.
The water would then flood our parish and rush TOWARD the Lower 9th Ward.
The same areas flooded in Betsy and Katrina will flood again. but from the
opposite direction!

 

What is the advantage of the obstruction???

 

Since the water will be coming from the direction of St. Bernard, the City
of New Orleans will be protected by TWO levees.  In order for water to enter
New Orleans from the east it would have to breach the east and west levees
of the Industrial Canal.  However, that would be nearly impossible because
the water in the Industrial Canal would reinforce the eastern levee thereby
preventing a breach there.

 

The net impact of this is that the Corps of Engineers has devised a plan to
protect the City of New Orleans at the expense of residents in St. Bernard,
the Lower 9th Ward, and New Orleans East.

 

The design is there, the contracts have been awarded to the Shaw Group, and
construction will be accelerated since the videos of the close call during
Gustav.  All of the leadership below the Industrial Canal had better work
together to stop this project and advise the Corps of Engineers that we are
not willing to be a spillway for the city. 

 

 There is a better plan to build an obstruction at Bayou La loutre along
with rehabilitation barrier islands and wetlands.  That is the only way to
properly protect the entire New Orleans area.  But that has been put on
hold.  It is outrageous for anyone to callously consider sacrificing the
lives and property of so many people just to save the city itself when there
are other, more comprehensive plans available that would protect everyone.

 

Citizens have better stand guard.  The videos of the overtopping of the
Industrial Canals western levee in Gustav are a call to arms to place our
communities in jeopardy.  Just watch as the construction of the barrier
below the "Green Bridge" begins in earnest SOON!!!! 

by Ron Chapman who is a businessman in St. Bernard Parish, a columnist and
an instructor at Nunez Community College in Chalmette.