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August 3, 2006
Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031
WASHINGTON, DC
- U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon today asked House and Senate leaders on the
committees with jurisdiction over the 2006 Water Resources Development Act to
include several vital Louisiana
projects in their final conference report. Melancon requested
authorization for four projects identified in discussions between the New
Orleans District Office of the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
as critical for hurricane protection and coastal restoration in southern Louisiana.
"Six years have passed since the last water resources
authorization bill was signed into law. In that time, 104 tropical storms
and hurricanes have swept through the Gulf of Mexico,"
wrote Melancon. "Today, critical coastal restoration and hurricane
protection projects still await authorization so that Louisiana
and other Gulf Coast states can begin work on
protecting our fragile coastline and our citizens."
The four projects identified by the state and the Corps are:
- Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Modification - Six month study to determine approach on
navigation feature modification and ecosystem restoration.
- Hurricane Barrier East of the
Mississippi River - Initiation
of detailed design and analysis and environmental compliance for a
hurricane barrier east of the Mississippi River.
- Barataria Basin Shoreline Restoration - Recommend completion of feasibility level
decision document and continuation of PED for Barataria Basin Barrier
Shoreline Restoration as described in the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)
Program Chief's Report from 2005.
- Southwest Louisiana Protection and
Restoration through various CWPPRA projects - Recommend construction of specific Coastal
Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Projects in southwest Louisiana.
Melancon also requested consideration for several other priorities
in the Third Congressional District, some of which are included in H.R. 5461,
the Meeting Authorization Requirements for the Coast Act, which Melancon introduced in May.
The letter was sent to Senator James Inhofe and Senator
James Jeffords, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works, respectively; and Rep.
Don Young and Rep. James Oberstar, chairman and ranking member of the House
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, respectively.
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