[StBernard] Melancon pushing settlements for MRGO

[Westley Annis]

Melancon pushing settlements for MRGO

Jeremy Alford
Capitol Correspondent


Published: Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:43 a.m. 


BATON ROUGE - Congressman Charlie Melancon is lobbying the federal
government to settle with thousands of residents who fell victim to what he
calls the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' "mismanagement of the Mississippi
River Gulf Outlet after Hurricane Katrina."

Residents of St. Bernard and Orleans parishes suffered extensive flooding
from MRGO following Hurricane Katrina's landfall in 

2005. 

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval ruled in November that the corps is
liable for a portion of the damages that resulted, and residents are
expected to demand compensation. 

The ruling specifically states that the corps' failure to effectively
maintain MRGO resulted in the devastating flooding. 

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who represents the corps,
Melancon, D-Napoleonville, states that a resolution is needed so victims can
put an end to the litigation and move on with their lives.

"The people of St. Bernard and New Orleans have worked tirelessly for more
than four years to recover what they lost in Katrina," Melancon wrote.
"Through pure grit and determination, they have rebuilt their homes and
communities, and their strength of spirit is an inspiration to us all."

Melancon, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, also argued that
a framework has been established on the federal level to proceed.

"In light of the president's steadfast dedication to recovery and Judge
Duval's findings, I request that your office begin negotiations with these
plaintiffs to resolve their claims and allow them to continue rebuilding
their lives," Melancon states.

Melancon said President Barack Obama, during his most recent visit to New
Orleans, noted that "Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature,
but also a breakdown of government."

The trial overseen by Duval lasted 20 days and produced thousands of pages
of documents that showed MRGO was responsible for destroying 47,000 square
miles of area wetlands by 1973. 

Another 73 square miles of wetlands were lost between 1973 and the date
Katrina pushed into south Louisiana, according to Duval's findings.

The opinion could force the federal government to pay roughly $700,000 in
damages to a small group of people and businesses, but in the long run it
could be the precedent that other residents - as many as 100,000 - have been
waiting on to receive action on another set of judgments that could be worth
billions of dollars. 

Melancon is vacating his House seat this year to run against U.S. Sen. David
Vitter, R-La. 

Vitter, for his part, has long been an outspoken advocate for the full
closure of the MRGO.