Senate OKs WRDA 81-12

The U.S. Senate passed a long-awaited water resources bill Monday evening, sending the measure loaded with projects for virtually every congressional district in the country to President Bush’s desk for his signature or veto.

The bill, a long seven years in coming, finally authorizes the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection project. The nearly $900 million project combines some 72 miles of levees, locks and floodwalls to provide Terrebonne and portions of Laforuche Parish with flood protection from at least category three hurricanes and storm surges.

The legislation carries a $23 billion price tag and passed the Senate by a veto proof margin of 81-12. It cleared the U.S. House by a similarly wide margin in August.

The Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District’s executive director was among those celebrating Monday night’s vote.

“It’s a big step for the Morganza project. It’s the last major hurdle. Now we just have to make sure that President Bush signs the bill,” he said.

Indeed, Bush has given signals that he may veto the bill, citing its high final figure in the face of mounting budget deficits, due primarily to the staggering cost of the ongoing conflict in Iraq.

Should the president sign the bill, Zeringue noted that the next step to be taken is to acquire funds for levee construction through the appropriations process.

“Passage of the bill is good news but it will be even better news once the bill is signed,” he said.

The bill also provides significant funding for the South Lafourche Levee District. Some $90 million is provided in the legislation for construction and upgrades to the 44-mile ring levee that surrounds the 10th Ward of Lafourche Parish, stretching from Larose south to below Golden Meadow.

Levee district general manager Windell Curole also was greatly encouraged by the bill’s passage and what the future holds for the south Lafourche levee.

“Passage of this bill and the accompanying money for our project will real help us move forward with better flood protection,” said Curole.

He also noted that the money will be used in tandem with an expected report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers outlining their projections for 100-year flood elevation heights. The report, due out later in the year, could call for the south Lafourche levee to be raised possibly up to another three to four feet to meet the 100-year protection threshold.

The current levee design is 10 feet above sea level at the northern end in Larose to a maximum height of 13 feet above sea level on the southern end below Golden Meadow.

Curole said that the bill passed Monday also allows the South Laforuche Levee District to receive a monetary credit for work already completed and paid for on the Leon Theriot lock, which will be placed just north of the floodgate below Golden Meadow.

The district could receive as much as $15 million, which will be used to install the lock or for future levee improvement work.

“It will require no cash out of pocket for us,” said Curole.

In the meantime, Gov. Kathleen Blanco lauded Monday’s vote and urged President Bush to sign the bill into law.

“WRDA will authorize billions of dollars to strengthen Louisiana’s levees and to protect our coast,” she said. “We have waited years for WRDA, and we cannot wait any longer. If we are to be prepared for future storms, we must act now.”

Calling WRDA a historic bill, U.S. Sen. David Vitter noted the bill includes 17 coastal restoration projects – the Morganza project among them.

The authorization builds upon the $30 million provided in the recent Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, Vitter said.

“We’re losing a football field every 38 minutes and lost 217 squares miles of coastal wetlands and land in merely two days – the days that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit our coast,” added Vitter. “With these LCA provisions we are laying the groundwork to continue the efforts to save and protect Louisiana’s coast in the long-term.”

The LCA provision authorizes billions for 16 coastal restoration projects, establishes a science and technology program of at least $100 million, an additional $100 million to use material from dredging to help protect and restore Louisiana’s coast and integration in all of the programs to ensure that they work together effectively, the senator said.

“This bill has been waiting on the goal line to become law for too many years,” added Vitter. “I have pushed and prodded the Senate leadership to get this bill out the door and on to the president before the end of September, and I thank them for honoring that request.”