A Barrier That Could Have Been (environmentalist suit stopped New Orleans project)

LA Times ^ | 9/09/05 | Ralph Vartabedian, Peter Pae

[Libloather]

KATRINA'S AFTERMATH
A Barrier That Could Have Been
Congress OKd a project to protect New Orleans 40 years ago, but an environmentalist suit halted it. Some say it could have worked.

By Ralph Vartabedian and Peter Pae, Times Staff Writer
September 9, 2005
latimes.com

In the wake of Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago, Congress approved a massive hurricane barrier to protect New Orleans from storm surges that could inundate the city.

But the project, signed into law by President Johnson, was derailed in 1977 by an environmental lawsuit. Now the question is: Could that barrier have protected New Orleans from the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina?

"If we had built the barriers, New Orleans would not be flooded," said Joseph Towers, the retired chief counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans district.

Tower's view is endorsed by a former key senator, along with academic experts, who say a hurricane barrier is the only way to control the powerful storm surges that enter Lake Pontchartrain and threaten the city. Other experts are less sure, saying the barrier would have been no match for Katrina.

The project was stopped in its tracks when an environmental lawsuit won a federal injunction on the grounds that the Army's environmental impact statement was flawed. By the mid-1980s, the Corps of Engineers abandoned the project.

The project faced formidable opposition not only from environmentalists but from regional government officials outside of New Orleans who argued that the barriers would choke commerce and harm marine life in ecologically sensitive Lake Pontchartrain.

[Cycle watcher]

"Two years ago the fires that destroyed hundreds of homes in San Diego were fueled by dead underbrush that could not be cleared because the envirofascists had brought lawsuit after lawsuit to prohibit it's removal."

In addition, do you recall when there were fires in the Northwest (sorry, can't remember the state) and the firefighters lives were lost because the planes were not aloud to cart water from the nearby lake due to environmental regulations. The thinking of this country has been destroyed by its fear of opposing environmental fascists.

Also, some very respectable scientists have confirmed that the banning of DDT throughout the world relates to the millions of people in countries such as Bangladesh who have since died due to malaria. The liberals actually don't care and actually ignore how much damage they cause as long as they can rearrange the world according to their plan.

What is shocking and we have to understand is that the truth no longer matters (nor is it recognized) if it conflicts with the ideology of the liberals, democrats, communists and the MSM. We keep saying that this is insanity. No, it is a plan by our enemies. Instead of appeasing them as our representatives do through a feeling of guilt, we need the backbone to oppose them and force a national debate with all the people of the nation involved. I don't think I'm ranting on a soapbox here. It is either we need to opposes this or succumb.

[SolidRedState]

I don't think I'm ranting on a soapbox here. It is either we need to opposes this or succumb.

You absolutely right. Regardless whether this particular 30 year old project could have helped or not, the point is, the envirowhackos put moss and algae over and above people's safety.

When added together, the fires, the anti-nuke energy, the anti drilling, etc, etc, have contributed more economic and real human suffering than an invading army.

[antiRepublicrat]

There was an earlier thread about this, the group being Save Our Wetlands. If you can help me find that earlier thread, there was a link to their site's Google cache of the recently removed page bragging about having stopped certain levee and dam constructions.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now that would be a good find.

[SierraWasp]

"If you can help me find that earlier thread"

Well... Can you? I certainly would like to see that reserrected RIGHT NOW!!! (doesn't FR have an archive data base?)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Oh, it is probably in there alright...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Found this on their website:

*******************************************************

Save Our Wetlands, Inc. is a Louisiana non-profit 501(3)(c) corporation formed in 1974.

Save Our Wetlands, Inc. offers educational workshops and seminars on environmental awareness topics. To schedule such, contact Save Our Wetlands at:

info@saveourwetlands.org

Since their formation SOWL has been fighting for you to save our precious wetlands and to develop educational programs for environmental awareness and ecological improvement.

FACT: While politicians talk, SOWL sues! SOWL has been involved in countless lawsuits involving Lake Ponchartrain on every subject....from the New Orleans Levee Board Airport Expansion Plan, Bucktown Marina Expansion Plan, New Orleans Mosquito Control Drainage schemes in wetlands of New Orleans East, Eden Isle Subdivision on the north shores of Lake Ponchartrain, Orlanda Subdivision, Corps of Engineers Hurricane Barrier Project, shell dredging in Lake Ponchartrain, Waterford Nuclear Plant...to the Marathon Oil Company canals in the wetlands of St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes.

FACT: SOWL SAVED LAKE PONCHARTRAIN - In 1977, SOWL obtained an injunction from U.S. District Judge Charles Schwartz enjoining the Corps of Engineers from building a billion dollar dam at the Chef Mentaur Rigolets Fort Pike Area, where the Gulf of Mexico enters into Lake Ponchartrain. Had SOWL not obtained this injunction, Lake Ponchartrain would be a stagnant body of water and over 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East would have been developed into the Orlanda Subdivision.

FACT: SOWL filed two lawsuits against NASA's plan to test advanced solid rocket motor fuel in Gulfport, Mississippi. Each static test firing would have released 235,000 pounds of hydrogen chloride gas and 365,000 pounds of aluminum oxide gas falling greatly on the Honey Island Swamp and into Lake Ponchartrain. SOWL worked diligently with the Confederation of American Scientists in Washington, D.C. to stop congressional funding for the proposed ecological holocaust.

FACT: SOWL filed suit against the proposed Formosa Chemical Plant - described as "environmental outlaws" by Texas authorities. This plant would have destroyed the last remaining green belt left in the New Orleans area known as "cancer corridor." Formosa withdrew its plan after the SOWL law suit was filed.

FACT: SOWL has produced over a dozen thirty minute television programs shown on Cox Cable in New Orleans. SOWL is presently attempting to establish a SOWL environmental television network in New Orleans. The Honorable Marc Morial, Mayor of New Orleans, has issued a strong letter of support on this project. SOWL is the founder of ECOVISION.

FACT: SOWL has filed suit against the New Orleans Levee Board's proposed $20 million hotel to be constructed on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain next to a gambling boat and proposed four-mile island.

FACT: SOWL and three other environmental plaintiffs files suit to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers West Pearl River Dredging Project. This Corps project would have opened up the West Pearl to commercial barge traffic and destroyed one of America's remaining wild rivers. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Porteous issued an injunction against this Corps "Pork Barrel" Project.

FACT: SOWL is presently fighting to save 2,900 wetland acres on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Through litigation and pressure, SOWL has been able to keep Eden Isles Subdivision from developing approximately 2,900 acres of a once vast wetland sanctuary in Slidell, Louisiana. SOWL is attempting to get this tract restored into a state or federal wetland sanctuary park.

FACT: SOWL has always fought bitterly against the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1974, SOWL has consistently put pressure and exposed the Corps, New Orleans Division, for blatant and reckless issuance of permits that are ecologically disastrous.In 1975, SOWL filed documents in the United States District Court requesting that a special Grand Jury be formed to investigate the Corps of Engineers participation in federal criminal laws for permitting and abetting the illegal diking and damning of navigable bodies of water in Lake Ponchartrain resulting in the Eden Isles Subdivision and the destruction of 5,300 acres of a once vast wetland sanctuary.

FACT: SOWL has also filed a suit naming the same tract of land around Lake Pontchartrain in U. S. District Court, New Orleans, against the U. S. Corps of Engineers for issuing a permit to Tammany Holding Corporation to develop this tract without requiring an environmental impact study as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

The legal department of SOWL was also actively involved in the Alaskan Valdez disaster and are avid supporters of SAVE THE DOLPHINS.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donattion you can email us at:

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #47....nothing in there about protecting New Orleans.....

Before we spent Billions to restore New Orleans.....I think we need to shut down the Enviornmentalist...or refuse to spend the MONEY!

[TaxRelief]

FACT: While politicians talk, SOWL sues! SOWL has been involved in countless lawsuits involving Lake Ponchartrain on every subject....from the New Orleans Levee Board Airport Expansion Plan, Bucktown Marina Expansion Plan, New Orleans Mosquito Control Drainage schemes in wetlands of New Orleans East, Eden Isle Subdivision on the north shores of Lake Ponchartrain, Orlanda Subdivision, Corps of Engineers Hurricane Barrier Project, shell dredging in Lake Ponchartrain, Waterford Nuclear Plant...to the Marathon Oil Company canals in the wetlands of St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes.

FACT: SOWL SAVED LAKE PONCHARTRAIN - In 1977, SOWL obtained an injunction from U.S. District Judge Charles Schwartz enjoining the Corps of Engineers from building a billion dollar dam at the Chef Mentaur Rigolets Fort Pike Area, where the Gulf of Mexico enters into Lake Ponchartrain. Had SOWL not obtained this injunction, Lake Ponchartrain would be a stagnant body of water and over 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East would have been developed into the Orlanda Subdivision.

...and the Army Corps of Engineers would have been able to cut off the flow into NO...

[antiRepublicrat]

SOWL has been involved in countless lawsuits involving ... Corps of Engineers Hurricane Barrier Project,

I think you found it. Disgusting, isn't it? But the ecoweenies will never admit they were wrong. Never.

[skinkinthegrass]

Klintoon EO-12986

..again, the "slimey b@st@rd" Klintoons' shows their total disregard for U.S. Laws

[Grampa Dave]

A conservative lawyer friend estimated that it would take us 12 years to undo the damage the Clintons did to America right before GW was sworn in.

I'm afraid that he underestimated the time needed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We need to open that coal mine site in Southern Utah for starters....it is low sulphur coal surrounded by a wilderness area....Clinton declared it Wilderness before it could get opened.

[Ben Ficklin]

Lets not forget that Title 1 of CARA would have funded Louisiana's coastal mitigation/restoration.

Now retired Congressman Billy Tauzin of LA was the primary instigator of CARA.

Being objective, it is not likely that CARA would have delivered the money soon enough to prevent the damage. It is also possible that Louisiana would have used that Title 1 money to mitigate themselves some freeways and shopping centers.

[skinkinthegrass]

I'm afraid that he underestimated the time needed.

If ever...America may never recover.

We need to open that coal mine site in Southern Utah for starters....it is low sulphur coal surrounded by a wilderness area...

I wonder how much (of a bribe) the Klintoons recieved for that...favor.

[Libloather]

Save Our Wetlands

Proposed name change - Save Our Incredibly Wetlands.

Say - shouldn't the enviro-nutjobs be front and center on what to do when Mother Nature burps? I haven't heard a peep...

[SierraWasp]

Thank you sir, for finding it! Reply #49 provides the direct link to the story and their asinine bragging about it!!!

At least we fought off most of the Clinton/Gore "American Heritage Rivers Act!" But... Oh brother! The malignant crappola they implanted in our system!!! They were the GovernMental EnvironMental activist of all time!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I wonder how much (of a bribe) the Klintoons recieved for that...favor.

Whatever it is it's likely buried in a Swiss bank account!

[Grampa Dave]

"I wonder how much (of a bribe) the Klintoons received for that...favor."

Absolutely. The Clintoons never did anything like that without getting money.

[Wurlitzer]

?What kind of loser is an "environmentalist?" It must be the lowest form of employment, even lower than dish washer

I wish you had left out the last 4 words. Any legal employment is of value. You are right about "environmentalist" however. To care about the environment is proper, to say you care at the expense of everything else is stupid.