[StBernard] Landrieu Comments on Corps' Morganza Reevaluation

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Wed Jan 14 23:37:03 EST 2009


Landrieu Comments on Corps' Morganza Reevaluation



WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today commented
on the Corps of Engineers' announcement that the Morganza to the Gulf
hurricane protection project cost reevaluation has been completed. The
project's cost has risen to $8.5 billion from the authorized amount of
$886.7 million, triggering the Corps' required reevaluation when a project's
cost exceeds 20 percent of its originally authorized level.



Morganza to the Gulf is a series of levees, locks and other systems through
Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes that will, upon their completion, serve as
protection for more than 120,000 people and 1,700 square miles of land
against storm surges like those caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sen.
Landrieu and the Louisiana delegation successfully pushed to include the
project in the 2007 water resources bill. Despite Congress' clear mandate,
the Corps has refused to begin construction, citing cost overruns.

Sen. Landrieu said:



"While I remain very disappointed that this project has been delayed over
and over again, I am firmly committed to seeing that it is authorized and
built as quickly as possible. The cost of not building the Morganza to the
Gulf hurricane protection project far outweighs any new price tag that is
placed on this critical levee. We must work to find innovative ways to
complete this project as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. The
longer this project is delayed, the longer our communities remain
unprotected."



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