Scalise Reiterates Support in U.S. Senate for Most Effective Hurricane, Flood Protection Option

Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Scalise today submitted a statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for a committee hearing titled, “A Hearing on New Orleans Hurricane and Flood Protection and Coastal Louisiana.”

Scalise urged his colleagues in the House and Senate to support Options 2 and 2a, Category 5 hurricane protection, and beneficial use of dredged material for coastal restoration. Joe Rault, Tom Jackson and Steven Peyronnin of Louisiana all testified at the committee today in support of Options 2 and 2a.

“Our region will not accept flood protection that’s based on the cheapest cost rather than the most effective solution to protect our citizens,” Scalise said. “I have called on the Corps to revise their plan and build the flood protection that is most effective to protect us from future storms. This is why I strongly support Options 2 and 2a for the 17th Street, London Avenue and Orleans Avenue Canals.”

Scalise added, “In addition to stronger levees, we need to be more aggressive in restoring our coast to rebuild the buffer that existed to weaken storms that threatened South Louisiana. We must also demand that the Corps use all the dredged sediment to restore our coastal wetlands, rather than their current approach of dumping most of the sediment into the Gulf.”

The following is the statement Congressman Scalise submitted to the Committee for the record.

Statement of Congressman Steve Scalise
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
A Hearing on New Orleans Hurricane and Flood Protection and Coastal Louisiana Restoration: Status and Progress
June 16, 2009

Thank you Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe for holding this important hearing on New Orleans hurricane and flood protection and Louisiana coastal restoration, and I appreciate the opportunity to submit a statement for the record. I also want to thank today’s panelists for attending the hearing and for the work they do to strengthen the hurricane and flood protection system in Louisiana, including efforts to rebuild our coast.

Despite Congressional intent and direction to modify the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue, and London Avenue canals, the Corps continues to proceed with Option 1, which does not provide the best option for hurricane protection. While the Corps continues to cite the effectiveness of the outfall canal levees during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike as evidence that Option 1 is sufficient for hurricane protection, the Corps has noted in its own report to Congress that Options 2 and 2a (which includes Pump to the River) are more reliable options for hurricane and flood protection.(1) While there has been much debate between the Corps and local and state officials, as well as the Louisiana Congressional delegation, over the extent of authorization for Option 1 versus Options 2 and 2a, there is consensus between local, state and federal officials that Options 2 and 2a provide more protection to the residents and businesses in the New Orleans region. If the protection of life and property are the underlying goals driving our decisions regarding hurricane and flood protection projects, then Options 2 and 2a should be the alternatives selected by the Corps.

Specifically, Option 2a, which includes Pump to the River, would provide superior protection for residents of Jefferson and Orleans Parishes and would reduce the amount of storm water required to be pumped into Lake Pontchartrain by approximately 20 percent and enable storm water to be removed from Hoey’s Basin and many Uptown New Orleans communities more quickly.

I remain concerned that the Corps is proceeding with Option 1 over Options 2 and 2a simply because this Option is the cheapest. Having noted that Option 1 is inferior to Options 2 and 2a, the Corps is risking the safety of families in the New Orleans region. I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support the Louisiana Congressional delegation as we work to ensure optimal hurricane protection for the New Orleans region by supporting Options 2 and 2a.

In addition to providing a permanent fix for the three outfall canals, the Corps was also instructed through P.L. 109-103, Section 5009, to conduct the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration (LACPR) report, which was intended to provide recommendations for projects that provide protection for a storm surge equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. When the draft report was issued earlier this year, it did not include a defined roadmap for comprehensive hurricane and flood protection. Instead, unfortunately, the report identified an array of alternatives. It is imperative that the Corps work with local, state and federal officials to present us a detailed list of specific project recommendations that Congress can authorize. Until then, we remain no closer to comprehensive hurricane protection than we are today.

A crucial component of comprehensive hurricane protection is rebuilding and restoring our coastline. Coastal erosion in Louisiana has reached catastrophic levels. Louisiana loses approximately 24 square miles of coastal wetlands each year, and the projected loss over the next 50 years, with current restoration efforts taken into account, is estimated to be approximately 500 square miles. More than 47% of Louisiana’s population lives in Louisiana’s coastal parishes. Not only are our wetlands important to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast; these wetlands also protect infrastructure of national significance. Five of the largest ports in the U.S. are located in South Louisiana, and our coastal wetlands provide storm protection for over 450 million tons of waterborne commerce carried through these ports, accounting for about 18% of all waterborne commerce in the U.S. About one-third of all U.S. oil and gas production comes across the coast of Louisiana, and we provide 26% (by weight) of the commercial fish landings in the lower 48 states.

Louisiana citizens understand the importance of investing in our coast. In 2006, Louisiana voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to dedicate the state’s share of offshore oil and gas revenues to hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects. Our state has made this commitment, but in order to protect these invaluable national resources, the federal government must join us in our efforts to make meaningful investments in coastal restoration.

One specific priority of mine that I would urge the Corps and my colleagues in the House and Senate to support is the beneficial use of dredged material to rebuild the wetlands in coastal Louisiana. Approximately 63 million tons of sediment are dredged from Louisiana’s coastal areas, much of this to ensure safe passage of maritime vessels travelling to and from the Gulf of Mexico. While this sediment could and should be used entirely for coastal restoration projects, the Corps currently uses less than fifteen percent for this purpose. The Corps has an opportunity to use this material that is otherwise disposed of by working with our local coastal restoration partners in a strategic way to protect both the people of South Louisiana as well as the nation’s natural resources that are at risk.

While we have made much progress since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, much work remains. We have an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate our hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts to ensure that we pursue common-sense policies that provide optimal protection to the residents of the Gulf Coast and ensure that the federal government is acting as a partner and not an impediment to our recovery.

I thank you again, Madam Chairman, for holding this important hearing.

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1) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Hurricane Protection System, New Orleans, Louisiana. Report to Congress for P.L. 11-252. Revised: December 2008.

Contact: Luke Bolar
202-226-4309