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.

[Libloather]

...who argued that the barriers would choke commerce and harm marine life in ecologically sensitive Lake Pontchartrain.

A worker watches the water flow out of a 30 inch pipe that pumps out 27,000 gallons of water per minute in Metairie, La., Tuesday Sept. 6 2005. Water is now being pumped out of the city after officials repaired a broken flood wall. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Another page and a half of info at the link...

[frogjerk]

Envirofacism - killing us all, one disaster at a time...

[frankjr]

Wow, the truth is even beginning to leak out in the L.A. Times. Hey Dims, the end is near!

[Just mythoughts]

Wonder if this is why the environmental wackouts are staying so silent, and NOT demanding an environmental impact study, before the STATE pumps that 'toxic' water into the lake.

Sometimes dirty, toxic water is not really the issue.

[GianniV]

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

[Just mythoughts]

FYI

[rollo tomasi]

'Environmentalist, helping to move society back to the Stone Age one disaster at a time'

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP

[henderson field]

If this is true -- and it appears to be -- the environmental group that sued to prevent the barrier construction should pay for all the damages caused by its absence.

[auboy]

BTTT

[sofaman]

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.

[q_an_a]

maybe some kind lawyer will file a class action against the Serria KLUB and ask for a billion dollars for the people injured by Katrina. That would make some folks in California reach for their wallets big time.

[SierraWasp]

"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."

I wrest my case!!! EnvironMentalism... The new home for Communism right here in America!!!

They're turning America into the land of "Hell and High Water!" (They're (the pumpers) having to fight to keep the bodies from getting into intakes of the pumps, today!)

[lilylangtree]

My thoughts too. The truth is slowly coming to light.

[frogjerk]

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.

I have heard, but I do not know if it is accurate or true, but If they had used asbestos in the Twin Towers as a fire retardent, the buildings MAY not have collapsed. Of course they were not able to use asbestos because of environmental concerns...

[Grampa Dave]

Hopefully some very good and very hungry trial lawyers will sue these elite watermelons, the governor, da mayor, and the rats in congress for killing and harming innocents.

The poor refugees of N O's could end up owning the governor, da mayor and about half of congress after civil trials.

[Carry_Okie]

If this is true -- and it appears to be -- the environmental group that sued to prevent the barrier construction should pay for all the damages caused by its absence.

Make that the private, tax-exempt, "charitable" foundations that support those groups financially and you've got a plan.

[Carry_Okie]

Hopefully some very good and very hungry trial lawyers will sue these elite watermelons, the governor, da mayor, and the rats in congress for killing and harming innocents.

A good many of them are exempt from lawsuits under Clinton EO-12986.

[Grampa Dave]

Maybe,you could explain to the freepers not familiar with
Clinton EO-12986, what it did to protect the limo watermelon elites who set up these potential disasters.

[Peach]

Thank you so much for the ping; I'd have missed this otherwise.

I've saved the article and sent it to my e-mail group.

I'm rather surprised the LA Times published this, but it confirms what we have heard about the envirowackos being partly to blame.