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Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative William Jefferson, D-LA, sent the following letter to the Army Corps of Engineers District Engineer, Col. Richard P. Wagenaar, concerning the Corps’ plan to modify flood control structures at the Harvey Canal. The Corps proposed to construct a new levee south of Harvey as well as a floodgate at Bayou Barataria, at the expense of raising existing floodwalls along the Harvey Canal. The full text of the letter follows:
Dear Col. Wagenaar:
Your recent plans for flood control modifications for Jefferson Parish are alarming residents of the West Bank and are a major concern for myself and other local officials. These proposed changes represent a departure from your previous position and could prove harmful in the short term. I respectfully request that you do not implement these policies, and instead focus your efforts on completing the upgrades to the floodwalls that line the canal. This course would provide safety for the residents of West Bank Jefferson Parish in the near term, while the Corps pursues a more comprehensive but gradual plan.
As we were made aware last year during Hurricane Katrina, outfall canals must be properly fortified with levees and floodwalls. Those structures along the Harvey Canal were scheduled to be raised and strengthened by January 2007, pushed back from an earlier deadline of June 2006. However, your proposed plan to construct a new levee at Bayou aux Carpes at the expense of fortifying floodwalls exposes the West Bank of Jefferson Parish to the possibility of dangerous flooding in the interim period. The Bayou aux Carpes levee will take several years to complete, should it be approved. During this time, the preexisting floodwalls will still be the main defense against flooding, leaving the residents of the West Bank with inadequate protection against future storms.
I am also concerned about your plan to build a gate along Bayou Barataria. Constructing a sector gate at that location would render pumping stations in the area unable to remove rainwater when the gate is closed. This is a problem that is proving difficult to address at the 17th Street Canal, where a similar gate is under construction. It does not seem wise to knowingly create a similar situation on the West Bank.
We cannot afford to put the West Bank at risk of disastrous flooding while such dramatic changes are gradually implemented. I respectfully ask that you follow your long-standing plan to improve fortification along the Harvey Canal floodwalls first and ensure the security of the citizens of Jefferson Parish.
Sincerely,
William J. Jefferson
Member of Congress |
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