PAVING MISSISSIPPI

I am really becoming discouraged by state and federal governments’ response to rebuilding along the Gulf Coast.

Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to rebuild communities, both in Louisiana and Mississippi, the right way, they seem to feel it is an opportunity to waive environmental laws and remove what they see as less desirable populations. Take for example the Mobile District of the Corps of Engineers recent issuance of a draft regional permit for coastal Mississippi that would allow filling of 5 acres of wetland for virtually any development with the need for a permit or any agency review. MSNBC published a great article today on this issue.

Even though wetlands can act as critical natural defenses in storm events, and offer natural water quality and flood control services, the Corps would like to rubber-stamp any proposal that destroys under 5 acres of wetlands. If the Corps is concerned about a safe and speedy recovery, don't you think it would make more sense to turn the proposal on its head and automatically deny any wetlands development?

In Louisiana it’s not much better. The Corps continues to push structural (concrete) solutions to our flooding problems – even though the levees failed during Katrina. Local politicians are getting our Congressional delegation to require that in deepening the Port of New Iberia the Corps dump the dredge along the edge of the waterway to create a mound rather than using that sediment to create 1,000-3,000 acres of wetlands.

You would think that government would have learned its lesson – but I fear that history is doomed to repeat itself.

Cynthia Sarthou is the GRN's Executive Director