Coastal Latest & Greatest: Answering What, When and How

A weekly round-up of what’s new in Louisiana coastal restoration

1) What is “scoping” anyways? Last week, the Army Corps of Engineers released the scoping report for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Scoping is the first step in developing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which analyzes the potential effects of a project. This report contains all of the public comments submitted during the 60-day comment period. According to Mark Schleifstein’s recent Times-Picayune piece, “Public wants Army Corps to look at Mid-Barataria diversion effects on fisheries, communities,” 72% of comments support the project! This is a great step toward implementing this critical restoration project.

Check out our blog, “Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Takes Another Step Forward,” to learn more about these comments, the scoping report and the EIS process.

Conceptual design of a sediment diversion. Credit: CPRA.

2) When will a sediment diversion be constructed? It might be sooner than you think! Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between CPRA and other state and federal agencies that implements a two-year permitting timeline for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion under the guidance of Trump Executive Order 13807. “This is a monumental achievement, with Louisiana showing the entire nation what can happen when we work together,” said Gov. Edwards.

See what our coalition partners had to say about this important announcement.

3) How do I protect my pipes from freezing? “First came the cancellation notices for schools. Then came ice, frozen roads, frozen pipes, and no water. Coffee houses were shuttered with no flowing potable water, hospitals and airports struggled to keep services running and home water boil advisories were issued,” writes Brady Skaggs in The Advocate’s “Letters: Build smarter to protect water supply.” So how can homeowners protect themselves in a state where air conditioning is our best friend? Check out Brady’s article for tips on protecting your home when the cold strikes.

ICYMI: TAKE ACTION: Support Coastal Restoration in Louisiana’s Barataria Basin