Council members pleaded Monday with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(Posted Nov. 7, 2006)

Council members pleaded Monday with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move swiftly in completing the non-federal levee projects in Terrebonne Parish.

Officials from the Corps presented a $30 million, two-tiered plan for repairs and replacements of hurricane ravaged levees during the Terrebonne Parish Public Services Committee meeting. Project development and planning and will delay construction of levees until 2009.

Expressing the general opinion of his constituents, District 7 Councilman Clayton Voisin said he was thankful for the Corps’ help, being “the bearers of good tidings,” but said he is still concerned with the projected start date.

“If you have been down there [to the levees] you know how necessary this project is [to Terrebonne]. It needed to be done yesterday,” he said.

Corps Project Manager Durund F. Elzey , explained that the planning process could be completed earlier than the 18 month projection if the parish helps in providing information to complete an Environmental Impact Statement. Through the EIS, the parish government would sign an agreement to provide lands, easements, rights-of way, relocation and disposal areas for dredged materials.

“Certainly any information that you can provide us, as it relates to [the EIS] and existing conditions, will certainly help expedite the environmental process,” said Elzey.

Although the time in which planning documents are completed is flexible, the nine-month specification phase and three months of construction bidding are necessary to the Corps’ regulations.

The 4th Supplemental Work Act passed by the federal government in June 2006 authorized funding for rebuilding of levees after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and is funding the Corps project.

District 9 Councilman Pete Lambert questioned what he thought was a 30 percent administrative fee for the project. Lambert was concerned about the amount alloted for actual levee construction.

According to Corps Study Manager Mark Wingate, planning and engineering fees will total 10 percent of funding, leaving a remaining $27 million to be spent on levees.

“By no means do we anticipate using $10 million to pay for planning studies, which would be 30 percent. We will certainly try to maximize the $30 million toward turning dirt,” said Wingate.

Because of a recent scarcity, Elzey explained the primary expense would be burrow material.

Assessments by the Terrebonne Levee Conservation Distinct identified levees in critical need, resulting in the two-tiered construction phase.

The first tier includes a three-mile levee along Orange Street, five miles at the Suzie Canal, four-and-a-half miles of Ward 7’s third phase, and four-and-a-half miles of the Lower Dularge Levee.

Two-and-a-half miles along Shrimper’s Row and six-and-a-half miles of the lower PAC outline the second tier.

Elzey said the project is set for completion with the current funding in 2010.

“I hope we have until the year 2009 or 2010,” said Voisin