Vitter looks to amend WRDA; Changes would include improvements to Houma Navigational Canal

With the U.S. Senate’s Water Resources Development Act facing the possibility of going up for vote this week, Sen. David Vitter offered several amendments to the bill.

The focus of the amendments are provisions regarding the valuation of property after Hurricane Katrina, the closure of the MRGO and the continuation of the state’s coastal restoration efforts.

Other amendments filed to the WRDA bill include improvements to the Houma Navigational Canal, reimbursement to the South Lafourche Levee District for the work on the Bayou Lafourche lock, navigation at the port of Morgan City and a tax credit for building approved hurricane protection projects.

In a press release, Vitter said, “This WRDA bill addresses a number of priorities for Louisiana, but there are some areas where the bill needs to be refined to recognize the current state of our hurricane, coastal and flood protection systems in Louisiana. My amendments address some of these voids and also take proactive steps to help ensure that we are prepared for future events.”

The first amendment, concerning property valuation, would ensure that the Corps of Engineers can pay pre-Katrina fair market values when acquiring property.

“The flooding from Hurricane Katrina destroyed thousands of homes, causing property values to decrease significantly,” Vitter said in the release. “Home owners should not have to shoulder the cost of devalued property in addition to other recovery challenges.”

The amendment concerning the MRGO would speed up the closure and restoration of the MRGO. “My amendment makes it clear that the MRGO is to be closed and that the Corps is to restore the ecosystem and prevent storm surge from reaching our homes,” said Vitter.

“The MRGO is going to be closed — period. This amendment stops the games and finally closes this hurricane highway.”

Another of Vitter’s amendments aims to address the need to provide a higher level of hurricane and flood protection. In 2005, Vitter authored a provision that resulted in a $20 million analysis and design for up to Category 5 hurricane protection for all of south Louisiana. This amendment would speed the process to construct these improved protection measures, up to Category 5.

“Without recognition that Louisiana needs a higher level of hurricane protection, this bill has a huge void,” said Vitter. “My amendment allows for an expedited process to authorize up to Category 5 protection for our state so that we’re not subject to more Corps bureaucracy.”

According to Vitter, his coastal protection amendment would allow the Corps to carry out 10 additional restoration projects, totaling nearly $1 billion. He added that the amendment would allow the Corps more flexibility to compete the work.