[StBernard] Landrieu Comments on Corps' Morganza Reevaluation

[Westley Annis]

Well, if the Feds are determined to spend $$$s on public works as part of
the plan to kick-start the economy, why not this one?

JY




	
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	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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