2 weeks Ago
The Carrollton Gauge outside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District headquarters monitors the rise and fall of the Mississippi River on Friday, June 11, 2021.
The river is expected to rise above 11 feet on Tuesday, May 14, triggering the Corps to begin twice-a-week inspections of the river levee system, and to restrict below-ground work near the levees. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate) Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save I have been following the controversy over the system by which members are nominated for appointment to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East (SLFPA-E). I served on the SLFPA-E for eight years (2008-2016) and served as president from June 2014 to June 2015.
The members of the board during my tenure were the best of the best in terms of coastal flooding, working material, right-of-way acquisition, subsidence and storm surge modeling. What I discovered while serving on the SLFPA-E was that the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers ruled all things. Our input on design, maintenance and modeling was not seriously considered by the Corps. Here are a few examples: The design of the “T” wall was roundly criticized by board members because there was no mechanism to replace soils beneath the "T" wall that would fall away because of subsidence.
We were assured this would be addressed in the final design. It was not! The Corps decided, over the objections of the board, to install the sheet-piles beneath the “T” wall without protective coating. There are countless other examples of the Corps doing it their Corps way and the opinion of the SLFPA-E be damned.
I surmise, from articles and op-eds published by the newspaper, the editors believe that the present system provides expert professionals to serve on SLFPA-E. The expertise of SLFPA-E members is irrelevant. Any group of reasonably honest and intelligent people can comply with the responsibility of maintaining the flood system.
We appoint the first nine people coming out of church on Sunday and not affect the design or operational procedures of the flood reduction system. The Corps manuals must be followed. Repairs, renovations and adjustments to operating procedures will be designed and dictated by the Corps.
STEPHEN ESTOPINAL Gonzales.
