[StBernard] Corps of Engineers approves levee clay borrow sites in Plaquemines, St.

[Westley Annis]

Corps of Engineers approves levee clay borrow sites in Plaquemines, St.
Charles and Ascension parishes
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune 
February 18, 2010, 1:18PM

The Army Corps of Engineers has approved seven more privately-owned borrow
sites from which clay can be purchased to build area levees.

The sites were chosen after a review of the environmental effects of the
potential removal of the material and the quality of the clay. The clay must
meet new quality standards set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The corps estimates it will need 80 million cubic yards of clay to complete
its raising of the regional levee system to protect from storm surge caused
by a hurricane with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year, also known
as a 100-year storm. To date, it has approved potential sources of clay that
hold an estimated 170 million cubic yards of suitable material. 

Approval of this set of clay sites was conditioned on the signing of a
decision record by Col. Alvin Lee, commander of the corps' New Orleans
District office. In support of the decision, the corps has published
Individual Environmental Report 32, which was released for public review in
November. 

The decision record and final copy of the report are available on the Web at
www.nolaenvironmental.gov . 

The approved clay sites include: 

Bocage Plantation, Ascension Parish

Citrus Lands, Plaquemines Parish

ConocoPhillips, Plaquemines Parish

Idlewood Stage 1, Plaquemines Parish

Nairn site, Plaquemines Parish

Plaquemines Dirt & Clay, Plaquemines Parish

3C Riverside Phase 3 site, St. Charles Parish.

The owners of those sites were responsible for the soil boring and testing
data provided to the corps, and also had to obtain state and federal
environmental clearances. Once approved, the site is available to
contractors for purchase of clay they may need to complete construction of
levee segments. The corps does not enter into any purchase agreements with
the borrow pit operators, and there's no guarantee by the corps that
contractors will buy their material.

Questions about the borrow site approvals can be directed to Patricia Leroux
at the corps, 862-1544 or by email at mvnenvironmental at usace.army.mil