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United States News Title: Army Corps Eng: Barrier Plan Could Push Oil Onto MISS A wall of sand that Louisiana officials have requested to block the Gulf of Mexico slick could instead funnel oil into more unprotected areas and into neighboring Mississippi, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in documents released Wednesday. Gov. Bobby Jindal and leaders from several coastal parishes want to ring the state's southeastern coastline with a $350 million, 86-mile network of sand berms. However, the corps says the barrier could inadvertently alter tides and end up driving oil east - into Mississippi Sound, the Biloxi Marshes and Lake Borgne. A top Louisiana official said that scenario was unlikely and criticized the corps for coming up with excuses to delay the plan. "We could have had 10 miles of it built by now if they had given us the green light," said Garret Graves, chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. "We're not going to do anything that would cause shoring of oil in Mississippi." A defiant Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said he would still order work on the berms to begin within days if the federal government does not approve the plan. Oil already has pushed at least a dozen miles into the Louisiana's coastal wetlands and could kill plants that hold together the fragile landscape. Eager to build the berms before the damage gets worse, Louisiana officials said they were willing to delay construction on parts of the barrier to avoid swamping Mississippi with oil. Millions of gallons are still swirling in the Gulf. Supporters of the sand berms say oil could keep hitting Louisiana's coastline for months. In documents released Wednesday by the state, the corps signaled support for parts of the state plan, including berms that would be built onto existing barrier islands. The agency said that if the 6-foot-high sand barriers worked, they could capture oil and allow skimmer boats to more effectively scoop floating crude. The section highlighted as a possible hazard to Mississippi would connect from the Chandeleur Islands to the marshes in eastern Plaquemines Parish. A spokesman for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. In its comments on the state plan, the corps suggested Louisiana was responsible for cleaning up oil collected by the berms. State officials said the bill for the work should be sent to BP PLC. The spill came after the company's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank last month about 50 miles out in the Gulf. Some independent experts and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have questioned whether the barrier system could be completed in time to keep out the oil. "The horses are already out of the barn. The oil is already out there," said Len Bahr, who served as a coastal adviser to five Louisiana governors, including Jindal. Bahr said the berm plan is a ploy to push the costs for a long-standing barrier island restoration program onto BP. Plaquemines president Nungesser said his parish is assembling equipment and workers and could start dredging by Monday. He expected the parish council to appropriate $1 million for the operation at a meeting Thursday. "We are not going to let our marshlands in this parish be killed," Nungesser told a crowd of more than 200 fishermen Tuesday night. With the first of the month looming and bills coming due, Nungesser said told the fishermen at the meeting he knew it been rough, but assured the crowd they would get help. "They are not going to not compensate you," Nungesser said. "They are not going to not compensate this parish, and we are damn sure we aren't going to let them ruin our marsh land." Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/26/v-print/1649932/feds-la-barrier-plan-could-push.html#ixzz0p9S7aUKZ Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
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