2008-0166
INTRODUCED BY: V.J. ST. PIERRE, JR., PARISH PRESIDENT
RESOLUTION NO.
Title
A resolution requesting and urging the Congress of the United States to appropriate 100% federal funding for one hundred year flood protection for Southeast Louisiana.
Body
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the flooding and devastation caused by Hurricane Betsy in 1965, the Congress of the United States promised the citizens of Southeast Louisiana Category 3 Hurricane Protection, for which the local citizenry contributed significant cost share funding; and,
WHEREAS, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, before Hurricane Katrina, informed Louisiana that it was protected against a hurricane likely to come no more frequently than once in 200 years; and,
WHEREAS, improvements along the entire Mississippi River system, including its tributaries, and the construction of flood protection reservoirs in states more than 1,000 miles from the Gulf Coast deprived the Mississippi River of enormous amounts of sediment needed to sustain coastal lands in Louisiana; and,
WHEREAS, Southeast Louisiana has played a major role in the shipping and oil and gas industries, benefiting the quality of life and economy of the nation as a whole; and,
WHEREAS, the activities of these industries along Louisiana's coasts and the construction of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, in conjunction with the engineering of the entire Mississippi River system that provided economic benefit and flood protection hundreds of miles up river from Louisiana, depriving Louisiana of the natural load of sediment, has led directly to the disappearance of 2,100 square miles of Louisiana's coastal lands; and,
WHEREAS, these benefits to the rest of the nation have substantially reduced natural barriers to storm surge and thus enormously increased the vulnerability of Louisiana to hurricanes, far beyond what it would otherwise be; and,
WHEREAS, on August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated Southeast Louisiana by overtopping levees and breaching floodwalls, with high winds, torrential rains and flooding causing catastrophic damage to public and private properties in Southeast Louisiana, severely impacting the population, local economy and tax base of these parishes and reducing the funding capabilities of their respective levee districts; and,
WHEREAS, true one-hundred year protection for Southeast Louisiana must be approached from a regional perspective with a contiguous system that eliminates all gaps; and,
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 100 year protection for Southeast Louisiana was re-evaluated by the USACE and approved by Congress; however, the current local cost share requirement for this protection is estimated to be a minimum of $1.6 billion for Southeast Louisiana, and without payment of this substantial sum this much needed protection will not be constructed or will be substantially delayed, jeopardizing the safety and property of the people of Southeast Louisiana; and,
WHEREAS, since much of Southeast Louisiana is still rebuilding and attempting to bring in new development, intervention is required on the federal level to address local cost share and other local responsibilities in order to construct this much needed protection.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT, do hereby request and urge the Congress of the United States to appropriate 100% federal funding for one hundred year flood protection for Southeast Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in the event 100% federal cost participation is not authorized, the Congress of the United States is hereby requested and urged to take the following actions:
• Authorize one hundred year flood protection for Southeast Louisiana at no local cost share.
• Authorize local cost share participation be paid over a thirty year period.
• Authorize credit for Operations and Maintenance expenses paid by local government prior to completion of projects by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Authorize credit to local levee districts at fair market value for borrow materials provided to the Corps.
Vote
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the resolution was declared adopted this day of , 2008, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
One hundred year flood protection
CHAIRMAN:
SECRETARY:
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:
APPROVED : DISAPPROVED:
PARISH PRESIDENT:
RETD/SECRETARY:
AT: RECD BY: