We’re happy to report two pieces of good news about the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – East’s efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for their role in Louisiana’s coastal land loss. Last week, a Judge ruled that Act 544, a law passed by the legislature that was designed to squash the Authority’s oil and gas accountability lawsuit, does not apply to the Flood Protection Authority. In the other piece of good news, two weeks ago Paul Kemp was re-nominated to the Flood Protection Authority. Governor Jindal, who is opposed to the lawsuit, sought to replace a majority of board members, including Kemp, with individuals who share his view. Re-nominating Kemp ensures that a majority of the board members continue to support the suit. The suit would hold the industry accountable for decades of drilling and dredging, which helped destroy the coastal marshes that shield the region from floods. Holding them accountable for their failure to restore the wetlands they’ve impacted is crucial to our protection from hurricanes. As many of you know, Louisiana is losing a football field-size of land per hour. Nathaniel Rich of the New York Times Magazine writes, to apply the same land-loss to New York City, Central Park would disappear in a month and Manhattan in a year and a half. Why is Rich’s Manhattan analogy important to mention? More people have visited Manhattan than southeast Louisiana and The Big Apple is depicted on television and the big screen daily. For people outside of our immediate area, imagining a football-field size of land per hour is almost inconceivable, but imagining some place like Central Park disappearing in a month makes the reality more vivid. Click here to read the full New York Times Magazine article.Please check back with us for updates regarding the Flood Protection Authority’s efforts to hold the oil & gas industry accountable for its destruction of our wetlands. Bryan R. Clarey is GRN’s Media and Communications Intern.
