The WaterMarks Interview
Benny RousselleBenny Rousselle serves as President of Plaquemines Parish and was elected in 1998.
Q WaterMarks: Newspapers, magazines and television have been talking about the crisis in Louisiana's coastal wetlands for over a quarter of a century. Is it possible that the message has become so common in Louisiana that it's not taken seriously?
A Rousselle: Maybe that's possible for people who haven't gotten off the highways or live in the northern part of the state. But not for those of us who spend time outside the levees and get out into the wetlands. The evidence of the problem is every-where- exposed oil and gas pipelines, passes and points that have disappeared, oyster beds that have moved farther and farther inland. For the people of Plaquemines Parish, it's always on their mind. We know the statistics; we know it's happening in our own backyard and we know that it's a crisis.
Q WaterMarks: And what about those who don't recognize what's happening?
A Rousselle: I doubt that there's anyone in Louisiana that doesn't know that the problem of coastal wetlands loss is serious. What they may not understand is just how serious and that it will affect them personally. Without barrier islands and the marsh as protection, the storm surge from the next big hurricane is going to wash through the streets of New Orleans. When we say we're losing wetlands in Plaquemines Parish, what we're really saying is that the millions of people living north of us are in grave danger. We're saying that the oil and gas industry, the shipping industry and commercial fisheries are all at risk.
Q WaterMarks: So each acre lost is a threat to the entire state.
A Rousselle: The loss puts not only the state but the entire country at risk. What I hope is that people in Washington come to understand that Louisiana has subsidized the low price of energy in this country at the peril of its marshes. If you've flown over our parish, you've seen the miles of canals cut through the marsh, leading to well heads. The canals have brought plentiful supplies of gas and oil, but they've also brought the salt water that's been the catalyst for much of the wetland loss. When we dredge channels and build levees to support our ports, the entire nation benefits from the imported oil, but Louisiana pays a price. If we have another Hurricane Andrew without the wetlands and barrier islands to protect us, the pain will certainly be felt across our state, but it's also going to spread out across the whole nation when energy prices soar.
Q WaterMarks: Given the magnitude of the problem, where do you go for solutions?
A Rousselle: The best solution in the world is running right through Plaquemines Parish. The Mississippi River is a naturally occurring source for the two things we need to begin bringing back our coastal wetlands and restoring barrier islands-sediment and fresh water. But we have to get aggressive about using it. For example, I don't think we've looked hard enough at possibilities connected to dredging. I've watched as mountains of dredged materials have been taken from the river in less than 30 days and used for highway construction. If dredging is cost-effective for building highways, then maybe it can be cost-effective for building barrier islands. We need to be willing to dredge and lay rock-do whatever it takes to get things moving.
Q WaterMarks: But isn't the idea to work with the natural processes?
A Rousselle: Sometimes the idea of working with the natural processes keeps us from putting projects on line. Sometimes we can't wait for nature to take its course. Working with nature also means shaping it by taking advantage of whatever it has to offer. The point is that the Mississippi is the solution. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We don't need another study. I can assure you that I'm frustrated and the people of my parish are frustrated with studies.
Q WaterMarks: Freshwater diversions seem to dominate the solutions for your region. Does that make sense to you?
A Rousselle: Freshwater diversions are a part of the solution, but they don't make sense if we haven't built up the barrier islands first. Barrier islands are crucial to controlling saltwater intrusion and creating a buffer to take the worst of the storm surge out of hurricanes. They're even important when we're in a drought cycle like we've been through because they slow the tide, which in turn reduces the amount of salt water that moves into the wetlands.
Q WaterMarks: So you must agree with the addition of the three barrier island projects to the CWPPRA priority lists?
A Rousselle: Adding those three projects has given me real hope. The restoration of barrier islands needs to be the number one priority in our parish because without them we lose, no matter what else we do. For example, it doesn't matter how much fresh water you push through a marsh. If you don't have a cork in the end of the bottle, the effort is wasted. The barrier islands are the cork for southern Louisiana and will be the foundation of any restoration plan that has a chance for long-term success.