Vitter blasts Corps for ‘foot-dragging’ on levee

U.S. Sen. David Vitter criticized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for foot-dragging on hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts in a discussion with Terrebonne Parish business and government leaders Monday in Houma.

Vitter said authorization of the billion-dollar Morganza-to-the-Gulf project – which would provide Terrebonne Parish with federal hurricane protection levees for the first time and flood control locks on the Houma Navigation Canal – was long overdue. Congress authorized the project in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in 2007, but no money was allocated.

“Sometimes making it law is just the beginning of the battle,” Vitter said.

The Corps has postponed construction of the levees and locks because the agency said construction cost projections for Morganza were underestimated.

“The Corps still basically doesn’t want to do it,” Vitter said.

Vitter said he wants the Corps to start work on Morganza, especially the locks, while the agency deals with the cost of the project. The locks would help block a hurricane storm surge from traveling up the Houma Navigation Canal.

“The Corps always bellyaches they’re overworked and underfunded,” Vitter said.

He urged transferring public works projects, like dredging, currently controlled by the Corps to the states.

“The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is far from perfect but they could do it for less than half what the Corps does,” he said.

Vitter helped create the Louisiana Water Resources Council within WRDA. The council is an independent body that oversees work done by the Corps.

He said the Corps is “hyper-intimidated” by the prospect of lawsuits, so the agency studies projects repeatedly.

Vitter said a report concerning the decertification by the Corps of some parish-built levees in Lafourche Parish will be issued within 120 days. The report will detail the improvements needed to meet Corps standards.

In addition, Vitter promised to push to extend Gulf Opportunity Zone Act funding for Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes through 2010. Availability of GO Zone money for the two parishes ended in 2007.

The program provides federal loans to businesses in parishes damaged by the hurricanes of 2005. The program was extended to 2010 for parishes, such as Orleans and St. Bernard, worst hit by the hurricanes.

“GO Zone has been a powerful incentive … for Terrebonne to get business,” Vitter said.

The senator also said he would look to fund administratively the $250 million needed to build the Leeville to Golden Meadow stretch of the new Louisiana Highway 1, sidestepping Congress.