Environmental group sues Morganza

A Metairie-based radical environmental group Save Our Wetlands Inc. is filing suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the Morganza project, labeling the 72-mile project a “‘Leaky Levee’ scam” that would have a detrimental effect on the state’s wetlands in order to halt the project.

The Morganza project would help protect Terrebonne Parish and part of Lafourche from hurricanes by means of a levee that could go as high as 22 feet and as wide as 300 feet in places.

“Our position is Morganza needs to move forward and needs to move forward as rapidly as possible. And if somebody’s got a better alternative along the way, then let us hear it,” said Terrebonne Parish manager Barry Blackwell. “But I haven’t heard any real satisfactory alternatives to Morganza.”

Luke Fontana, remembered by some as the man who sued to prevent the construction of a floodgate on the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans back in 1977, is the attorney representing the group, which has a Web page that advocates 9/11 conspiracy theories, warns of the dangers of aspartame and wants to remove TVs from public places.

Fontana sums up the group’s concerns in a brief letter addressed to the state’s representatives and senators.

He argues the state delegation to Washington, D.C., failed to inform Congress and President Bush the project is opposed by 16 coastal scientists-engineers and the Science Board of Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration Program.

Fontana said he got the idea for the suit after hearing about a letter sent by the 16 scientists-engineers to Gov. Kathleen Blanco last March that criticized the Morganza project.

He also alleges the project will destroy wetlands by acting as a hurricane tidal surge buffer and promoting development into low lying estuaries extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges.

Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District executive director Jerome Zeringue is not inclined to agree, at all, with Fontana.

“I think that’s unfounded, his position that’s it’s going to encourage development in wetlands. There are existing federal laws and also looking at where the levees are being placed, it would be cost prohibitive to have wholesale development,” said Zeringue. “So, that’s not an issue. That may be on some other project, but I think that’s the basic problem is this gentleman is lumping all proposed flood protection projects in the state plan together. And I think he’s misinformed when it comes to the Morganza project.”

Fontana goes on to call the project “another Corps of Engineers ‘Boondoggle'” based on lies cited in his letter.

Zeringue, again, disagrees. He responded to the “boondoggle” comment.

“Anyone who says that is wrong and doesn’t understand the project,” said Zeringue. “I have confidence in the Levee District, the state and the Corps to build hurricane protection in the parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche in a way that is cost effective and environmentally compatible.”

Zeringue said the Morganza project for the most part will maintain the existing water flow in the wetland system, even after the levee is constructed.

The Corps is able to accomplish this, because they are building the levees along already existing hydrological barriers.

And when a levee is built across a wetland, an environmental structure is placed to allow the exchange of water, the tidal effect, for the wetlands, he explained.

The project will have 12 floodgates and 13 environmental structures comprised of a series culverts, all of which can be closed in the event of a storm, but left open to allow the natural tidal exchange to occur for the ecosystem.

It is also worth noting hurricane Katrina claimed 218 square miles of wetlands. While the Morganza project wouldn’t have prevented the loss, as it wouldn’t have shielded the wetlands so far south, it does have the potential to shield some of the wetlands behind it.

“No one would advocate we build levees to protect wetlands, but there is no doubt, as far as our levees and what we’re proposing, the wetlands within the system will be protected in the event there is a storm, similar to the people that will be protected,” said Zeringue.

Fontana concluded his letter with, “Our Louisiana politicians again got what they wanted. It’s called ‘PORK,'” a reference to the Morganza project.

Zeringue said he hopes the suit doesn’t stall the project.

“He [Fontana] obviously is intent on making an issue of this for whatever reason. I don’t know what is his motivation, but all I can tell you is the premise of what he is contending is not entirely correct,” said Zeringue.

Fontana was contacted, but had yet to respond by time of printing. The Save Our Wetlands site can be found at “saveourwetlands.org.” Unlike other Web sites, the link does not contain a “www.”