Latest news: September 12, 2011

Governor Touts Dredging and Coastal Restoration Projects Throughout SW LA

DredgingToday.com. September 12, 2011.

“Governor Bobby Jindal announced during a press conference in Lake Charles that the state has invested more money for dredging and sediment use in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes than anywhere else in Louisiana, and it is paying off in marsh creation and increased hurricane surge protection…”

Hundreds of acres of marsh, swamp in St. Tammany are donated to state

By Paula Devlin, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). September 11, 2011.

“More than 500 acres of St. Tammany Parish land near Slidell, featuring a nature walk and an eagle’s nest, will now be regulated by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which will allow officials to better attend to the area and open the land up for permitted hunting…”

During historic flood, Mississippi River tried forming new channels, costing millions in fixes

The Associated Press. September 11, 2011.

“MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Since the waters from this spring’s floods receded, officials have identified places where the Mississippi River tried to carve out new channels and change course…”

Industrial Canal lock project needs further review, federal judge says

By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). September 10, 2011.

“The Army Corps of Engineers was ordered by a federal judge in New Orleans on Friday to halt work on a $1.3 billion plan to expand the Industrial Canal lock at the Mississippi River to accommodate deep-draft vessels until it writes a second supplemental environmental impact statement addressing the effects of closing the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet on the plan. U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon found that the corps failed to adequately consider that closure of the MR-GO may have eliminated the need for the lock to be deep enough to handle deep-draft vessels…”

Don’t divert New Orleans’ recovery money, Mayor Mitch Landrieu urges Congress

By Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). September 9, 2011.

“With billions of dollars earmarked for New Orleans’ recovery from Hurricane Katrina still in the federal pipeline, Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Friday said Washington should not divert relief money from his city to places devastated by recent disasters. Countering a call by some congressional Republicans — chief among them House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. — to offset new disaster spending with cuts elsewhere, Landrieu, a Democrat, said disaster spending is not a ‘zero-sum game.’…”