Your Voice is Needed: Why and How to Participate in the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion Scoping Process

07.09.2020 | In Coastal Restoration
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One of the cornerstone projects the State of Louisiana deems most central to the future of the Mississippi River Delta is, after over 35 years of planning, hitting a major milestone. The Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion project is officially in the scoping period, which means the public has an opportunity to suggest questions about the project impacts and benefits that should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and ultimately inform the way the project moves forward.

This project aims to reconnect the river to the Breton Basin marshes, serving as a long-term, sustainable strategy to reduce land loss and restore wetlands. The 2017 Coastal Master Plan predicts that the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion could build and maintain 24 sq. miles of land over the next 50 years.

The Breton Basin is losing land every day, leaving communities from Pointe a la Hache to New Orleans increasingly vulnerable to storm surge. The Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion will have major implications for Louisiana’s coast and communities; we strongly encourage you to participate in this scoping process.

What is ‘Scoping’?

To move this project forward, the Corps must follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Scoping meetings are one of the first steps in this process. Scoping meetings are public meetings where you can get a broad overview of the project’s purpose and location and provide feedback about the project and what you would like to see addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

It is essential that stakeholders participate in this process by providing input and asking the Corps to carefully consider what the future of our coast and our communities would look like without the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion.

Learn more about scoping here: ELI FACT SHEET

Delta Dispatches Podcast: Scoping Out the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion

We’re dedicating this entire episode to the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, which is officially in the scoping period. During the scoping period, the public can provide comments and suggest questions about the project that they think should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ultimately inform how the project moves forward.

This episode breaks down the scoping process and talks about how you can deliver your comments about the project to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform!

Listen on Google Play Music 

How to Participate in Mid-Breton Scoping

The public comment period for Mid-Breton scoping is from July 2, 2020 through August 16, 2020.

Some examples of questions we think it’s important that the Corps address in an Environmental Impact Statement include:

Feel free to build on these questions in your formal comments, but you should personalize whenever possible. 

How to submit your official scoping comments and questions: 

Submit comment forms (available at the project webpage) and/or letters by mail to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Attn: CEMVN-ODR-E #MVN-2018-1120-EOO, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118.

If you have questions about how to engage in the scoping process or how to submit comments or questions, please contact Helen Rose Patterson, Senior Outreach Coordinator, National Wildlife Federation at pattersonh@nwf.org.  

Additional Resources