[StBernard] Experts Push Corps To Use Clay For Levees

[Westley Annis]

Experts Push Corps To Use Clay For Levees
Current Plan For St. Bernard Involves T-Walls In 2011

POSTED: 9:52 am CST November 18, 2009
UPDATED: 11:24 am CST November 18, 2009

VIOLET, La. -- The material to rebuild levees in St. Bernard Parish is
available, but is sitting untouched, experts told the WDSU I-Team.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina submerged the parish, putting nearly
every house underwater. Many have yet to be rebuilt.

And the level of levee protection is exactly the same as it was four years
ago. But some experts tell WDSU it doesn't have to be that way.

In the tiny community of Violet in eastern St. Bernard Parish, Becky Mackles
and many of her friends lost everything to the storm. Four years later, she
still doesn't feel secure.

"I think they need to do a little more," she said.

So does Mike Butler, a levee specialist who owns a Mississippi-based company
that focuses on rebuilding and repairing levees.

"Hurricane Katrina came in here four years ago. It's at the same level it
was and here we are four years later. This is Ground Zero. This is where the
levees over-topped," he said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is set to build T-wall levees in St.
Bernard Parish to provide storm surge protection. They're supposed to be
finished in 2011, about 19 months from now.

"They are currently in a conceptual design," Butler said. "There is not an
actual T-wall design that's available -- it's all conceptual."

State Rep. Reed Henderson said that's true. Henderson said last month the
Corps handed out contracts for T-walls.

"Not contracts to do the job, no. Contracts to start to figure out how to
build it," Henderson said.

And both men say that by doing that, the Corps is ignoring a better way to
build safer levees.

"We got all the clay right here," Henderson said.

In January, millions of tons of earthen clay was uncovered in St. Bernard
Parish. Butler said it's one of the largest earthen clay finds ever in the
area.

"You have a total of 30 million tons of clay resources -- proven quality and
quantity sufficient to build all of these levees out of on-site earthen
clay. The material has been tested and proven," Butler said.

Butler said it's enough clay to build up all levees in St. Bernard Parish to
30 feet to provide flood protection.

"Just start moving it around and it will be cheaper, more effective and
quicker," Butler said. "For the last nine months, the Corps has known that
proven resources exist immediately adjacent to the levees ... for some
reason they denied the existence of the report they were given in January."

The Corps doesn't deny the report. Officials just don't think clay levees
are doable.

"That would require an enormous amount of material," said Corps Col. Robert
Sinkler. "(It) would affect a tremendous amount of wetlands to do that. It
would require at least 25 million cubic yards of clay material and that
would be problematic to build levees of that size and cross-section."

Butler said the Corps plans for St. Bernard Parish haven't always worked out
very well.

"Years ago they thought the MRGO (Mississippi River Gulf Outlet) was a good
idea. They're spending over a billion dollars to correct that mistake. They
think T-walls are a good idea now, I'll let you come to your own
conclusion," Butler said.

Sinkler said he has confidence in the T-wall system. But Henderson doesn't
see the system being built any time soon.

"I don't think the T-walls are going to be done by 2011. I just don't see
how they are going to do it," he said.

And that means Mackles won't rest easy.

"I honestly think if another storm comes, we (are) through," she said.

The Corps says it has taken steps to keep St. Bernard Parish safe. The MRGO
was closed off this year, one of the big changes since Hurricane Katrina.
The Corps said the project is hundreds of millions of dollars over-budget,
but it is complete.

The Corps recently used earthen clay to build a temporary levee in St.
Bernard. The levee has held up during recent storms and will soon be
replaced with a T-wall.

Butler said both Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter have been made aware
of the situation in St. Bernard Parish.