[Senate Hearing 114-39]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 114-39
PROVIDING NECESSARY FLOOD PROTECTION
TO PROTECT COASTAL COMMUNITIES
=======================================================================
FIELD HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
AND INFRASTRUCTURE
of the
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MAY 15, 2015--NEW ORLEANS, LA
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works
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COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, Chairman
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana BARBARA BOXER, California
JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon
ROGER WICKER, Mississippi KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey
MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
Ryan Jackson, Majority Staff Director
Bettina Poirier, Democratic Staff Director
----------
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana, Chairman
JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming BARBARA BOXER, California
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
ROGER WICKER, Mississippi JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma (ex
officio)
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
MAY 15, 2015
WITNESS PANEL 1
Hansen, Colonel Richard, Commander, New Orleans District, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers........................................ 1
Prepared statement........................................... 5
WITNESS PANEL 2
Monzon, John R., P.E., M. ASCE, Regional Director, Southeast
Louisiana Flood Protection Authority--West..................... 15
Prepared statement........................................... 18
Murphy, Todd P., President, Jefferson Chamber of Commerce........ 21
Turner, Robert A., P.E., CFM, Regional Director, Southeast
Louisiana Flood Protection Authority--East..................... 22
Prepared statement........................................... 25
Laska, Shirley, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, University of New
Orleans........................................................ 40
Prepared statement........................................... 43
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Statement of Dr. Ariana Sutton-Grier, University of Maryland..... 52
PROVIDING NECESSARY FLOOD PROTECTION TO PROTECT COASTAL COMMUNITIES
----------
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Environment and Public Works,
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
New Orleans, LA.
Senator Vitter. At this point, we're going to move to our
witnesses, to sort of the Field Hearing portion of the program,
so let me invite Colonel Hansen to come up. He is our first
panel, sort of the Federal panel, and then after a discussion
with Colonel Hansen, we will have another panel of witnesses.
Colonel Richard Hansen is the District Commander and
District Engineer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here in
the New Orleans District. He became that 62d District Commander
on May 23rd, 2013, and on assuming command, he became
responsible for one of the largest civil works programs in the
country at over $300 million annually.
Colonel Hansen is in charge of executing and maintaining
South Louisiana's Comprehensive and Integrative Flood Control
Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk
Reduction Projects, which we were talking about earlier.
Colonel, welcome, and thanks for your work and thanks for
your testimony today.
STATEMENT OF COLONEL RICHARD HANSEN, COMMANDER, NEW ORLEANS
DISTRICT, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Colonel Hansen. Thank you, Chairman Vitter, and the members
of the subcommittee. Again, I am Colonel Richard Hansen,
Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
District.
Thank you for this opportunity to provide a status on the
construction and maintenance of systems to reduce the risk
associated with extreme coastal weather events.
I'd like to provide you with an update on the progress and
status of our efforts during the last 10 years, the remaining
work, and the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and its Federal, State and local partners, to ensure
that we are prepared and ready to respond during the 2015
hurricane season. I will begin with a discussion of the
response following Hurricane Katrina.
Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, the Corps assessed
the damages from the storm, and working closely with State and
other Federal agencies, took a comprehensive look at the
organization to determine how best to improve our approaches to
storm risk reduction. We incorporated the lessons learned from
that assessment into our design criteria, construction
techniques, as well as our preparedness and response
procedures.
The results included addressing risk reduction with more
robust designs, use of cutting edge science and technology,
incorporation of better materials, gaining insight from local,
national and international experts in building a robust
emergency preparedness and response network.
Additionally, the passage of supplemental appropriations
totaling over $14 billion represented full up-front funding for
protective measures in Southeastern Louisiana. This allowed the
Corps to efficiently design and construct this multifaceted
system in one of the Nation's most complex environments.
The Corps has strengthened or improved nearly 133 miles of
levees, floodwalls, gated structures and pump stations to form
a perimeter system.
Construction of features, such as the Inner Harbor
Navigation Canal Surge Barrier in Lake Borgne, the Seabrook
Floodgate Complex, closures at the mouths of the three outfall
canals, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure
Complex, have pushed the line of defense outside the city and
removed almost 70 miles of interior levees and floodwalls from
exposure to storm surge.
We have provided the necessary data to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency and they are currently revising
their Flood Insurance Rate maps to reflect the system as being
accredited to defend against the 100-year storm surge event, or
a storm that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given
year.
It is with confidence that I appear before you today and
state that the level of storm damage risk reduction in the New
Orleans metropolitan area has never been greater.
Each day this risk is even further reduced as we push to
complete the final remaining features of the system. I'd like
to highlight a couple of the endeavors currently under way,
specifically, the construction of the Permanent Canal Closures
and Pumps and the current effort to improve system resiliency
through levee armoring.
In June 2013, we initiated construction of the Permanent
Canal Closures and Pumps, the system's final major structural
complex. Since that time, we have made substantial progress. As
of this month, the design is nearly 94 percent complete, and
construction and procurement are 57 percent complete.
We are on schedule to be complete at 17th Street, Orleans
Avenue and London Avenue during the 2017 hurricane season. Once
complete, the three new structures will be a sustainable
replacement for the interim closure structures that currently
provide the 100-year level of risk reduction.
These new stations combined will have a total pumping
capacity of nearly 182,000 gallons per second. Additionally,
adaptability has been incorporated into the design for the
structures, should other options be authorized and funded for
construction in the future.
Until these permanent features are complete, the Corps is
committed to ensuring that the interim closure structures will
perform as designed through a comprehensive operations and
maintenance program.
I'd also like to highlight our armoring program work. One
of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina is the need for
greater resiliency in the system. In terms of elevation, the
system is designed to defend against surge levels associated
with a 100-year level storm. We also understand that it is
necessary to build a level of resiliency so that the system
will withstand the impacts of overtopping from an even more
intense storm.
To date, we have awarded five task orders for the placement
of high performance turf reinforcement matting on earthen
levees in the system.
Since 2006, the Corps has continued to incorporate lessons
learned from Hurricane Katrina and improve how we do business,
not only in design and construction of the HSDRRS, but also in
operational and contingency planning.
In partnership with Federal, State and local leaders, we
conduct annual structural assessments of the system. In
conjunction with each hurricane season, the Corps and its
partners operationally test all major structures and conduct
joint hurricane exercises here in New Orleans, as well as at
our Division Headquarters in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The purpose of the exercises is to test the well-planned
command and control procedures, our technical steps for
responding to a storm event, the procedures and triggers for
closing and reopening major structures, as well as the
partnership and synchronized efforts among Federal, State and
local agencies.
Our partners in these extensive planning efforts are the
U.S. Coast Guard, the Coastal Protection and Restoration
Authority, the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, the
Jefferson Parish Drainage Department, the Governor's Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Southeast
Louisiana Flood Protection Authorities, and their supporting
districts, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and
Development.
The first of these field tests for this hurricane season
was successfully conducted by the Southeast Louisiana Flood
Protection Authority--West on April 30, 2015.
As I meet with stakeholders, partners, media and the
public, I am often asked about my greatest concern and
vulnerability in the system. My greatest concern and what could
also be considered a vulnerability is the risk of complacency
of residents because this monumental system is now in place.
No matter how high or how big we build, no system can fully
eliminate risk. And it's because of this residual risk that we
continue to communicate with the general public in an open and
transparent manner.
Each year, the Corps and all of our regional partners come
together for an event at the start of hurricane season to
collectively emphasize shared responsibilities at all levels.
And it's important that everyone has an emergency
evacuation plan in place. Listen to your local officials and
evacuate if an order is called. This event, this press
conference, will be scheduled for May 27, 2015.
Again, we're fully confident that the Hurricane and Storm
Damage Risk Reduction System will perform as designed just as
it did during Hurricane Isaac.
Today, the system is in great shape and our non-Federal
partners are doing a tremendous job with their operations and
maintenance programs to keep the system prepared for response
to a tropical weather event.
So, in closing, we are meeting the Nation's commitment to
the citizens of Southeast Louisiana. We accomplish this by
sharing responsibility and working collaboratively, relying
heavily on our non-Federal partners, and on extensive
collaboration with the general public.
I must emphasize that the Corps absolutely could not have
done this work on its own. It was a team effort among Federal,
State and local government, levee authorities, levee boards,
academia, industry, non-government organizations, peer
reviewers and other stakeholders.
Any additional work that is needed to reduce risk in
coastal Louisiana should consider all methods of risk
reduction: land use zoning, building codes, flood insurance,
evacuation plans, hazard mitigation plans, wise use of flood
plains, structural, and the appropriate combination of other
non-structural measures.
The Corps is working on numerous civil works projects to
support navigation, ecosystem restoration, and flood risk
management in coastal Louisiana.
Recently, we executed a cost share agreement with the
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to
evaluate the feasibility of deepening the Mississippi River
from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as an agreement
with the Port of Lake Charles to implement the Dredge Material
Management Plan, which will provide additional placement
capacity to allow the continued maintenance dredging of the
Calcasieu Ship Channel.
For coastal restoration, we have partnered with Plaquemines
Parish to begin construction of the first Louisiana Coastal
Area Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Project, which will
create and restore marshlands in West Bay, with material
dredged, as part of our Mississippi River Maintenance Program,
and it will also provide a natural buffer against future
coastal storms.
Finally, we are also working on additional flood risk
management efforts, such as the Comite River Diversion Project
in the Baton Rouge area and the Southwest Coastal Louisiana
Integrated Flood Risk Reduction and Coastal Restoration Study.
Addressing the needs of this important region, especially
in the area of managing flood risk, will require the shared
efforts of our local, State and Federal partners. The men and
women of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
District, are residents of South Louisiana. Their friends and
families live here; they maintain active roles in their
communities. For them, working with our partners to ensure a
promising future in coastal Louisiana is not just a
professional responsibility; it is a personal commitment.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me to testify before
you this morning. I will be happy to answer any questions you
may have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Colonel Hansen follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Senator Vitter. Thank you, Colonel. Thanks for your work
and that of all of your colleagues in the Corps. Thanks for all
of your ongoing leadership and work, and thanks for being here
today.
You mentioned that you think the greatest vulnerability,
danger of our new system is complacency. After that, in terms
of if you look at the physical post-Katrina system, what would
you say are the three top vulnerabilities or gaps of any kind
and what is the Corps doing to address those?
Colonel Hansen. Well, Senator, first, I will say that the
Corps greatly values your leadership in the development and
passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of
2014. That does represent significant progress in advancing
many water resources projects around the country, including
here in the Greater New Orleans area.
Correct, I did mention complacency among citizens, that we
don't want to develop a feeling or a belief that you can stay
in the city for any Category 1 or any Category 2 hurricane; you
don't have to evacuate until they reach a Category 3. That
would be an incorrect way of thinking. Any hurricane could be
dangerous regardless of its category.
For example, Hurricane Isaac was a Category 1 storm, but
very wide and very slow moving. It pushed a lot of surge in
front of it. There's a lot more factors to wind speed than
category.
But, Senator, to talk about other vulnerabilities, as you
mentioned in the slide you showed, in your presentation, we are
presently armoring many miles of the earthen levees around the
system.
Of that 133-mile perimeter, approximately 80 miles are
earthen levees, and one of the lessons learned from Katrina is
that levees need to be resilient to potential overtopping. So
we are going back, now that those levees have been constructed,
and we are beginning to place high performance turf matting and
then grass over the top of those levees.
And our tests have shown that--we tested cross-sections of
grass with that matting, at 40 times what we had said is the
initial limit for overtopping, and we found no failure and no
sign of erosion in levees that were protected with that
armoring mat. So armoring makes levees much more resilient to
an even larger storm, a 300-year storm, a 500-year storm.
So delaying that armor, if we do not move forward with that
armoring, it does represent somewhat of a vulnerability. The
system is capable of performing to a 100-year level storm, but
if there were an even larger storm and the system was not
armored, the levees could be potentially subject to damage from
erosion from significant overtopping.
Senator, it's difficult to categorize or kind of rank other
vulnerabilities, but obviously maintaining the system long-term
requires a system-wide approach and really sharing of resources
throughout the system.
You know, if levee lifts in one area need to be performed
before another area--right now levee districts are limited in
their ability to share resources and share funds, and that is
going to, in a degree, is going to limit the system-wide
approach to maintenance in the future, so I would consider that
somewhat of a vulnerability.
You know, beyond that, I know that, you know, you're going
to want to talk about the West Closure Complex and the surge
barrier. Some of these large structures are very big. They are
expensive to operate and maintain, and it takes resources on
behalf of, you know, the non-Federal sponsor, the local levee
districts and the Federal Government. And so, you know, the
question is whether those resources will continue to be
adequate in the future to maintain those structures, and I'll
say that we have to continue to operate as a team and be
committed to approaching that, you know, with the best plan
possible.
Senator Vitter. Great. Well, that leads to our discussion
of that O&M issue, and I appreciate your kind words about the
WRRDA 2014 bill that I helped draft and pass, but you can tell
your superiors that rather than kind words, what I really want
is simply the Corps to follow the law in regard to that. And
we've had this meeting and discussion many times, but the Corps
isn't.
I mean, WRRDA 2014 has crystal clear language that the
Corps has a responsibility to perform operation and maintenance
on the IHNC Surge and Barge Sector Gates, on the West Closure
Complex and on the Harvey Canal Sector Gates, and that the cost
share is 65 Federal and 35 local.
I have a few questions about this, but let me start with
this. Is there anything in that WRRDA language that you think
is unclear or ambiguous?
Colonel Hansen. Well, Senator, the WRRDA 2014 legislation
is clear in assigning responsibility to the Secretary of the
Army for operating and maintaining the structures that you
named, and that is the correct list from our analysis, at 65
percent Federal and 35 percent non-Federal expense.
Senator Vitter. OK. So the obvious next question is why
isn't--we're less than 2 weeks away from the start of hurricane
season. So why isn't the Corps doing that?
Colonel Hansen. Senator, the Corps has not ignored the
authorization and plans to comply with the statute should
operations and maintenance funding be provided. You know,
specific appropriated funds were not provided for this purpose,
but we've had this discussion as--and, you know, Congress did
provide the Corps with an additional $1 billion in
discretionary operations and maintenance funding for 2015.
And, Senator, again, the Corps of Engineers and all the
non-Federal sponsors and stakeholders that operate projects
across the country are very grateful for that additional
funding. It helps the Corps address critical backlog
maintenance needs across the country, including here in
Louisiana.
But this national backlog and deferred maintenance of
structures and facilities and navigation channels across the
country is $140 billion, so even with the additional $1 billion
in discretionary funding--and, again, it's very useful and very
welcomed--there are very hard choices to make and many, many
critical needs still remain unfunded. And, regrettably, with
demands exceeding the limited resources, no funds were
allocated for the Federal share of the O&M for the HSDRRS fuel
tax waterway structures.
Regarding a path forward, if discretionary O&M funding is
provided to the Corps in Fiscal Year 2016, I cannot commit the
Corps to a particular decision, but the critical nature of
these structures is well understood and it will receive very
careful consideration.
Senator Vitter. So basically your answer is, we're not
doing it, even though it's clearly our responsibility, because
we don't have the money to do it?
Colonel Hansen. Senator, as you know, the two steps that
are required are the authorization and the funding, and, again,
within that discretionary funding that was provided, you know,
with the immense backlog of maintenance in structures, this was
one of the needs that was not able to be funded.
Senator Vitter. So you know how the process works. The
Corps, through the administration, submits a proposed budget to
Congress. Did the Corps ask for that money?
Colonel Hansen. Senator, I am not, you know, fully aware of
every step in the budget process. I know it was actively
considered in the fiscal year '15 work plan allocation of that
O&M funding, but I can't offer, you know, whether or not it was
in the 2015 budget. The implementation guidance of that
particular section of WRRDA did arrive late enough in the 2016
President's budget development process and it was not included.
Senator Vitter. So, again, I'm trying to cut through to the
core, the responsibility is crystal clear that it's at the
Corps. The Corps has not even asked for the money, and to
piggyback on your comments about the billion dollars, the Corps
was given an extra billion dollars for various O&M needs. And I
know you have way more O&M needs than that. But you were given
a billion dollars, with no direction, and the Corps chose not
to use a penny of it for this mandated responsibility, is that
correct?
Colonel Hansen. That is accurate, Senator.
Senator Vitter. OK. Well, I just think that's inexcusable,
and I know it's a decision by your superiors, and I know that
the district actively asked for the money, but the
responsibility is crystal clear, and for the Corps not to meet
the responsibility, not to even ask for the money to meet the
responsibility, and to be given a billion dollars which could
be used for the responsibility, and not to use a penny, I
think, is ridiculous, quite frankly.
So, as you know, we're not going to drop this issue, and I
can tell you, if I have anything to do with it, as the next
Governor, my direction, in January, is going to be very simple
to the local authorities. It's going to be to drop off the keys
to these three structures at the Corps office, literally, drop
off the keys. We will send you a monthly check for our 35
percent and it's going to be on you. So y'all have between now
and January to figure it out, but that's what's going to
happen.
Let me move to levee lifts, which is another really
important issue. Before Katrina, in the construction of our
protection system, future levee lifts to bring the system back
up to required height, after subsidence, was part of the
design, was part of the authorization.
That was not built into the design and authorization of
this new system, so that now, as subsidence happens, and we
need to periodically do levee lifts--and that's normal; I mean,
that's part of any levee system, as you know--the Corps is
saying, ``Oh, not on us. It has to be a 100 percent State and
local burden.'' That was never the case before. It's always
been built into the system. It's always been the same cost
share, which is 65 percent Federal, 35 percent State. So why
did that change with this new system?
Colonel Hansen. Senator, again, a very important issue, and
Congress directed the Corps of Engineers to build a
comprehensive risk reduction system for the Greater New Orleans
Area that would provide a 100-year level risk reduction and
could be accredited by FEMA, under the National Flood Insurance
Program, and the Corps accomplished that and completed initial
attainment by September 2011, and then in February 2014, the
system was formally accredited by FEMA, and FEMA is in the
process of updating the Digital Flood Insurance Rate maps that
are applicable to the National Flood Insurance Program.
And, Senator, you are correct, the authorizing legislation
for that system and for that project was silent on future levee
lifts.
And then, Senator, again, you know, with your leadership
with the Water Resources Reform and Development Act passage,
Section 3017 of that Act does provide additional guidance on
future levee lifts for the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk
Reduction System. It does require that the Secretary of the
Army determine that future levee lift work, to address all the
steps that caused the levee to settle, consolidation,
settlement and subsidence, that if future levee lift work is
technically feasible, environmentally acceptable and
economically justified.
And as you know, Senator, that requires a decision
document. In this case, it would be a General Re-Evaluation
Report, and that would be conducted with investigation funds,
under a cost-sharing agreement.
Senator Vitter. OK. Basically, to summarize for folks here,
that means we have to go through all of this rigmarole study
that's going to be long and drawn out and may not even get to a
``yes,'' to do regular levee lifts that, prior to Katrina, were
always built into the system.
And so what we have going on is normal subsidence that is
bringing the system below the design level, below the 100-year
level, with no appropriate plan involving the Corps to remedy
that, on a regular basis, and, again, this is really
unacceptable.
To date, isn't it true that the Corps has performed some
lifts on levees within the system, like in St. Bernard Parish?
Colonel Hansen. Senator, in constructing a levee, you know
that there's a lot more to a levee reach than just the earthen
levee itself. Oftentimes, there are some loose gates, you know,
concrete slope paving in sections of floodwall, and so in the--
and then we establish a good quality turf or a strong turf on
the levee before we turn it over to the non-Federal sponsor.
And you're right, Senator, the conditions that cause levees
to settle are very dynamic here in south Louisiana. There have
been cases where, as we go through the several-year
construction process of a large levee and get to the point of
establishing turf and we go out and do our surveys, we find
that it has settled small amounts below the initial design
elevation.
And so in those cases, Senator, before--we have always made
sure that before we turn a levee over to the non-Federal
sponsor, to the State and the levee district, that it is above
the design grade.
So there have been cases where we went out, we have gone
back out and done limited lifts. In 2012, the Corps actually
did lifts on eight different reaches before turning them over
to the non-Federal sponsor. Once that turnover process is
complete, then it falls into the category, Senator, as we're
discussing now.
Senator Vitter. OK. Well, again, I just want to highlight
the concern. Over time we have this subsidence, and as it
stands now, the Corps is walking away from any responsibility
to help us keep the system at the design level. That was never
the case before, never, ever. It was always built into the
design and authorization that the Corps, 65/35, same cost share
as normal, would do those regular lifts to keep the system up
to its design level.
OK. I think, Colonel, that goes through my main areas that
I wanted to focus on. We have a second panel, so I do want to
give them ample opportunity, but thanks very much for being
here today.
Colonel Hansen. Well, thank you, Senator, and again, thanks
for your leadership.
[Applause.]
Senator Vitter. And if I could ask our second panel to come
up and be seated, and as they do, I will be introducing them.
We're really pleased to have four experts and individuals
from the local area. First, Mr. John Monzon, P.E., Regional
Director of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
Authority--West. That's the main levee board on the westbank
and John is the head of it. Prior to serving in that capacity,
John was Operations Division Chief with the Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority, which was responsible for
oversight and technical review of all of this work at the State
level, and he was also CPRA liaison between the levee districts
and the Corps for levee accreditation.
We also have Todd Murphy, President of the Jefferson Parish
Chamber of Commerce. Todd has served as the President for the
past 3 years and represents businesses in the largest parish in
the New Orleans region, in terms of population, a number of
businesses and a number of jobs. Prior to leading the Chamber,
Todd served as Senior Vice President of Omni Bank and Iberia
Bank for 13 years, where he guided new business development and
government relations.
Bob Turner is Regional Director of the Southeast Louisiana
Flood Protection Authority--East, so that's sort of the main
levee board on the east bank. And Bob is a Registered
Professional Civil Engineer with 30 years' experience in
engineering. In 2007, Bob was appointed to his position and
charged with oversight of flood protection for all or part of
five parishes surrounding Lake Pontchartrain and the governance
of the Orleans, East Jefferson and Lake Borgne Basin Levee
Districts. Bob has an extensive background in hurricane and
flood protection.
And last, but certainly not least, is Shirley Laska, Ph.D.,
Professor Emerita, Sociology, at UNO. Dr. Laska is a
Profession, Emerita, of Sociology and Founding Past Director of
the Center For Hazards Assessment Response and Technology at
UNO. It's called UNO-CHART. She's been conducting applied
research on natural and technological hazards and disaster
response for 30 years and her work includes studies on
residential flood mitigation, hurricane response, coastal land
loss effects, coastal fisheries and many other topics.
Thank you all for being here. More importantly, thanks for
all of your ongoing work in this area, and we'll hear 5-minute
testimony from each of you, in the order that I introduced you,
starting with John.
STATEMENT OF JOHN R. MONZON, P.E., M. ASCE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR,
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY--WEST
Mr. Monzon. Good morning, Senator Vitter----
Senator Vitter. Good morning.
Mr. Monzon [continuing]. Chairman Vitter, and members of
the committee. Thank you for giving me this opportunity this
morning.
As you stated earlier, I am the Regional Director of the
Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority--West. We are in
charge of two levee districts on the Westbank, of the Greater
New Orleans area, namely the Algiers and West Jefferson Levee
Districts.
The SLFPA-West oversees the operation and maintenance of
over 100 miles of westbank and vicinity levees, including 33
miles along the Mississippi River and 67 miles of hurricane
protection levees.
The Westbank Hurricane Protection Project began in 1986,
when Congress secured authorization and funding to have the
United States Army Corps of Engineers build the Westbank
Hurricane Protection Levees, starting at Westwego to the Harvey
Canal.
The entire Westbank and Vicinity System was incomplete at
the time that Katrina made landfall on the shores of Louisiana.
If Hurricane Katrina had shifted over to the west and made its
way up Barataria Bay, the entire westbank would have flooded.
Based on lessons learned from levee and floodwall failures
in the New Orleans area that were caused by storm surge, the
Corps of Engineers received appropriations from Congress to
design and build the HSDRRS features on the Westbank and
Vicinity Projects.
In the nearly 10 years since Hurricane Katrina has passed,
the Westbank and Vicinity Projects are now nearly complete and
the citizens inside this system have the best level of
hurricane protection they have ever experienced.
While there were some good outcomes from the construction
of the Westbank and Vicinity HSDRRS projects, there were a
couple of hardships along the way.
One of the hardships was caused by the June 1st, 2011
deadline to finish the HSDRRS. There were contractors that were
aware of this deadline and used it to their advantage when
negotiating change orders. In some cases, the deadline created
sloppy construction practices and an environment where quality
control was lacking.
Such was the case on the WBV 14c.2 Project where the
contractor stretched the limits of blending in the soil
specifications and caused an inordinate amount of woody debris
in the levees. Eventually the Corps did agree to a task force
that investigated the effects of the woody debris in the
levees.
On the positive side, as a lesson learned, the task force
recommended a compromise in which parts of the levee that had
the most woody debris were capped with additional clean clay.
It also recommended that the soil specifications be amended to
limit the amount of organic material and better define the
allowable blending process.
Some of the sloppy construction could have been averted if
the construction contracts would have included provisions for a
timely halt in construction in order to give the non-Federal
sponsor and local sponsors an opportunity to seek corrective
measures from the Corps. Also, contracts should have had a
considerable retainer, in the amount of 10 percent or above,
and those retainers should not have been paid until the Federal
and non-Federal sponsors were satisfied that the contract is
complete and finished according to plans and specifications.
A second hardship that was encountered along the
construction process was caused by the division of the HSDRRS
projects between the Hurricane Protection Office, HPO, and the
Protection and Restoration Office, the PRO. There were
inconsistencies in construction practices and design waivers,
such as the use of uncoated steel piles and the lack of
cathodic connectivity between the piles.
An expert review panel on the Greater New Orleans HSDRRS
design guidelines concurred that the use of sacrificial steel
is not a good practice in this region.
Most of these issues occurred on the Lake Pontchartrain and
Vicinity projects managed by the HPO office and will arguably
add maintenance costs over the life of the projects. For
consistency, all future projects should be operated out of one
office.
Some well-intended specification changes during
construction created other hardships. In order to build
stronger earthen levees, the soil specifications were changed
to increase the clay content and decrease the organic content.
This created a problem in establishing a grass cover on the
levees, because the clay was too hard to allow the root mass to
become established and the soil did not contain enough organic
material to encourage root growth. This became a problem
because levees without grass cover are susceptible to erosion
during rain events. In some cases, the contract was considered
complete without adequate turf establishment.
The projects were turned over to the non-Federal sponsor
where the Corps had to take corrective measures with hired
labor forces. This wound up costing more time and money. In the
future, specification changes should be vetted by the non-
Federal sponsor prior to wholesale changes.
In conclusion, the Westbank and Vicinity is better prepared
against storm surge from tropical events. The West Closure
Complex has closed the entry point of storm surge into the
Harvey and Algiers Canals and has reduced potential flooding in
these basins.
The cost to operate, maintain, repair, rehabilitate and
replace this $1 billion facility is approximately $3 million
per year. This is a heavy burden to the local sponsors without
Federal participation.
Most of the HSDRRS projects are complete, with the
exception of some project modifications and armoring. The Corps
was mandated to provide resiliency to the system for storm
events greater than the 100-year storm.
The Corps chose to use armoring products to provide this
level of resiliency, in lieu of additional height. These
armoring products were tested at the University of Colorado and
proved to be effective in providing erosion resistance from
overtopping events. However, the system is still susceptible to
overtopping and flooding will still occur, depending on the
size of the storm. There are homes and places that will flood
again.
Moreover, the recently awarded armoring contracts have
indicated that it will cost as much to armor the levees as it
will cost to raise the levees an average height of 2 feet.
The Corps has also indicated the future costs to lift and
armor these levees will be the responsibility of the non-
Federal sponsor.
Future costs to lift and armor these levees should be cost-
shared between the Corps and the non-Federal sponsor, as
stipulated in the WRRDA bill, at a 65/35 percent cost share.
We are hopeful that recent mandates in the 2014 WRRDA bill
will bring some relief to the local sponsors as we begin to
operate, maintain and repair, rehabilitate and replace the
Westbank and Vicinity projects.
Again, thank you for giving me this opportunity.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Monzon follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Senator Vitter. Thank you very much, John. Now we'll hear
from Todd Murphy.
STATEMENT OF TODD P. MURPHY, PRESIDENT, JEFFERSON CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
Mr. Murphy. Thank you. Good morning, Senator Vitter----
Senator Vitter. Good morning.
Mr. Murphy [continuing]. And members of the Committee on
the Environment and Public Works and, of course, the public,
that have come out to this beautiful facility.
My name is Todd Murphy, and for the last 3 years, I've
served as President of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. As
Senator Vitter mentioned, we represent businesses in the
largest parish in the region, centrally located, in the middle
of the region, and we represent the largest number in terms of
population; number of businesses and number of jobs.
As a lifelong resident of Jefferson Parish, I can attest to
the climate of work and life before, during and, of course,
after Hurricane Katrina. We thought we had stress every day,
from everyday work routines and everyday challenges of life.
Then comes a nearly 60-day evacuation, for most, from the area
and many more months and years of inconvenience and aggravation
to the life in which we knew.
The people and businesses of the region simply prevailed
through the adversity, and many got very creative in how to
reopen business to best serve the public.
[Off microphone] a professional banker at the time, our
bank joined two dozen other banks to jointly open in locations
that met the usually basic requirements of safety,
accessibility, electricity, and, of course, air conditioning,
which is necessary in mid-September in south Louisiana.
Approved by the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions
and supported by local, State and Federal regulatory and
security agencies, 14 locations were opened in our parish, each
housing three to five respective banks.
So a bank branch opened and operated at Bank A, and, for
example, each teller line was a different bank. You had a Bank
A, a Bank B, Bank C, Bank D, and we did this throughout the
parish. Proper marketing was done through radio and signage to
make sure all customers were properly provided for. This went
on for about 4 weeks and was certainly an example of
collaboration at its best.
And I mention this because today, as we continue to watch
storms and prepare for storms, industries like banking, like
health care, like financial services, are all still
collaborating and working to be prepared, working through our
Chamber of Commerce in Jefferson Parish and other regional
organizations to be prepared and to collaborate through these
potential storms.
In fact, as we would see in the years to come, our area
would rely on collaboration, as noticed above, and, of course,
the resiliency of its people. And the result has been an
evolution of stronger, more efficient businesses built with
loyal and passionate employees.
The number of restaurants in our areas alone has more than
doubled, and tourism and air travel have reached their
respective numbers, before Katrina. Retail, services and
manufacturing are all strong.
We still have storm threats, and as most recent as 2012, a
5-day evacuation. Yet, today we have more confidence in the
levee system that has been rebuilt and understand the need to
do more for the coastal communities.
Water management is actually now Southeast Louisiana's
second largest industry sector, which has added more jobs than
any other sector since 2010. The State of Louisiana and Greater
New Orleans have been more proactive around the resiliency
issue than perhaps any other region in the country.
Moreover, a few points on this resiliency. Resiliency is an
existential issue. Without proactive strategies to manage and
combat environmental threats, the post-Katrina gains in the
Greater New Orleans area from new real estate developments to
jobs and industry will be lost.
Ecosystem restoration is economic development. Diversifying
an economically promising industry sector is arising from local
firms' constant response to local disasters.
And finally, the success of Greater New Orleans equates to
the success of the Nation. At the mouth of the Mississippi
River, supporting one of the Nation's largest deltas and most
significant energy strongholds, Greater New Orleans strengths
and weaknesses are felt nationally.
As a clear outcome of the extraordinary manmade and natural
disaster of the last decade, Greater New Orleans serves as a
model for the country in innovative policies, plans,
leadership, work force and industry development, and
infrastructure investment around resiliency.
In fact, Louisiana-based firms have received over $327
million in State and Federal prime contracts related to
Hurricane Sandy response, recovery and rebuilding.
I'd like to close by thanking Senator Vitter for this forum
and members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public
works for allowing me to testify today on such short notice.
It is critically important for the businesses and residents
of this region and Louisiana to have adequate protection
against catastrophic storms and storm surge so that we're able
to foster and grow a vibrant local and State economy.
Thank you very much.
Senator Vitter. Great. Thank you, Todd, very much. And next
we'll hear from Bob Turner, Regional Director of the Southeast
Louisiana Flood Protection Authority--East. Bob, thanks.
STATEMENT OF ROBERT A. TURNER, P.E., CFM, REGIONAL DIRECTOR,
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTION AUTHORITY--EAST
Mr. Turner. Good morning, Chairman Vitter.
Senator Vitter. Good morning.
Mr. Turner. Thanks for the opportunity to be here today to
talk about our flood defense system in advance of this year's
hurricane season, and also, you know, personally, I want to
thank you for being such a strong advocate for flood protection
in our area.
The new Federal levee system is far better than the system
we had before Hurricane Katrina, and today I'm happy to report
that it is being well-maintained and it is in good condition.
But to keep the system performing to the level authorized
by Congress, there is still plenty of work that needs to be
done. You see, our levees were designed be periodically lifted
to sustain required elevations through the life of the project.
In a Corps memorandum, General Peabody wrote, and I quote,
``Without additional levee lifts, the expected consolidation,
settlement and subsidence and sea level rise will cause levee
reaches within the system to fall below the required elevation
necessary to provide 1 percent risk reduction as early as
2016.'' And he went on to say that the system will no longer
meet NFIP accreditation criteria when the first levee reach
settles below the required elevation.
Now, it's important to note that the Project Partner
Agreement, signed by the Corps and the non-Federal sponsor,
excludes such lifts from the maintenance responsibilities of
the non-Federal sponsor. So it certainly stunned local partners
when Corps attorneys claimed existing law did not allow the
Corps to construct periodic levee lifts and share the cost with
local partners, as had been done historically by the pre-
Katrina Federal levee system.
Surely, it was not the intent of Congress or the Corps to
build a $14 billion Federal levee system such that it would
provide the authorized level of protection for less than 5
years.
More recently, provisions were included in WRRDA 2014 to
address this critical issue. It authorizes the Corps to
construct periodic levee lifts with a 35 percent non-Federal
cost share, provided a General Re-Evaluation Report, or GRR,
finds that the work is technically feasible, environmentally
acceptable and economically justifiable.
It is imperative that the GRR be completed as soon as
possible, but we realize that Corps reports and congressional
appropriations take time. But some of our levee segments in the
system will fall below authorized heights within the next 2 to
3 years.
So we are considering lifting some levee segments in
advance of the Corps armoring effort to both maintain the
required levee heights and avoid wasting tens of millions of
dollars on armoring that must be removed and replaced as part
of any levee lift.
We would ask, at least, to receive project credits for the
local funds that we use to lift those levees, before the
required the Corps report is complete, and Federal funds can be
appropriated for the needed lifts.
WRRDA 2014 also designates responsibility to the Corps to
operate and maintain the sector gate and barge gate across the
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, at the surge barrier, with a 35
percent cost share for the non-Federal sponsor. But the Corps
has informed us that they will not begin operating and
maintaining those structures until funds have been appropriated
for that purpose.
So in the absence of the Corps, we are taking care of those
facilities for the time being. Local funds expended to fulfill
the Federal responsibility to operate and maintain and repair
those structures should be reimbursed by the Corps to the non-
Federal sponsor, or at least used to offset the 35 percent cost
share required for the future work.
Our new system is definitely large and most definitely
complicated, so it's not unusual for engineers to occasionally
disagree on complex design decisions.
For example, early in the design phase, the St. Bernard
Parish T-walls, our non-Federal project team expressed concerns
regarding the adequacy of the Corps design, of the steel pile
foundation elements. But the Corps chose to proceed with
construction without modifying that design.
Then after completing construction, the Corps took a much
more detailed look at that entire design, and although it has
been determined that there is no immediate danger to the
integrity of the T-walls, the Corps' latest analysis indicates
that problems with steel piles could develop in the future.
So their current plan is to install monitoring equipment at
multiple locations along the 23-mile floodwall to measure
corrosion rates and the stresses in the steel pile foundation
elements.
A robust monitoring program will allow for advance notice
of developing problems so that plans and funding can be put in
place to correct any design deficiencies.
And we agree that a monitoring program is needed, but we
believe the Corps should be responsible for operating and
maintaining the monitoring equipment and collecting and
analyzing that data. Such costs and responsibilities should not
be transferred to the non-Federal sponsor.
So in closing, first of all, I would like to thank you and
your staff for all the hard work and attention you have given
to reducing flood risk in our region, and thank you for
allowing me the opportunity to provide this testimony.
There's far more detail and supporting documentation in my
written remarks, and I look forward to answering any questions
you may have and assisting the committee in any way that you
might find helpful. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Turner follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Senator Vitter. Great. Thank you, Bob, very much. And last,
but certainly not least, we'll hear from Dr. Shirley Laska.
STATEMENT OF SHIRLEY LASKA, PH.D., PROFESSOR EMERITA,
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS
Ms. Laska. We social scientists always feel comfortable
being last, so it's all good. Thank you, Senator Vitter, and
the Environment and Public Works Committee for allowing me to
make some comments this morning.
Achieving better risk reduction from flooding for America's
coastal communities is a goal that can never be taken seriously
enough. Coastal areas vary in flood risk, but each coastal
community's safety is critical because so many societal
services and activities occur there and such large numbers of
our citizens live within coastal communities.
The takeaway from my brief comments is that each coastal
area of interconnected communities must recognize the portfolio
of efforts available to them to reduce their risk to flooding
and must invest their time, energy and financial resources into
these efforts.
The second part of the takeaway is that the portfolio must
be implemented as part of a system of risk reduction, not as
separate activities, and we must grow as a society in
understanding how the pieces fit together for the best risk
reduction and how each of us can play a role.
I know you are familiar with the idea of a system of
protection. The Colonel was, of course, speaking about it this
morning. We used to consider our system just one levee and all
of its needed parts, the types of materials to construct it,
the shape of it, the surface protection materials. We have
improved our understanding of systems since Hurricane Katrina.
Now the Corps is working to implement risk reducing systems
that include multiple levees, flood walls and pumps, how they
function together, and are now even adding non-structural
methods into their systems.
St. John and St. James Parishes, and Calcasieu Parish, in
west Louisiana, are all participating with the Corps in
planning projects that include elements other than large
levees--such as ring levees around clusters of houses, culvert
flaps to prevent back flow flooding, some home buyouts and
elevating structures.
Where the social scientists specializing in supporting
flood risk reduction come in is to ``flesh in'' the system idea
to include multiple activities that, taken together, thought
about together, modified in conjunction with one another,
create safer coastal communities.
A recent report published by the National Academy of
Science gives us a clear picture of what this idea means;
``There is a clear need for a comprehensive, tailored approach
to flood risk management behind levees''--and I would change
that to say ``in conjunction with levees''--``that is designed
and implemented at the local level, it involves Federal and
State agencies, communities, and households, takes into account
possible future conditions, and relies on an effective
portfolio of structural measures, nonstructural measures, and
insurance to reduce the risk to those behind levees.'' Of
course, in this area, we would also include coastal restoration
in that list.
Unfortunately, we are a long way from achieving what is
recommended by this study. Levees give us too much confidence
that they are all that needs to happen and too much confidence
that we have levees high enough to give us excellent
protection. This complacency is called ``the levee effect.''
The protection of our New Orleans levee system today is 1
percent risk per year, as you have heard the others say. That
gives us a 26 percent chance of flooding in the course of a 30-
year mortgage. Even though we know these odds are still very
seriously high, the warning falls back into our consciousness
to a real small corner of our thinking and we simply get on
with what's happening here and now. I think the Colonel called
it ``complacency.''
Those who are going to survive the next flood most
effectively are those who don't let that happen. All of us in
this room who are ``locals'' treasure Angelo Brocato's Italian
Ice Cream and Pastry. The store was badly flooded in Hurricane
Katrina. The current owner, Mr. Brocato, II, can't elevate his
store on Carrollton Avenue because it is an historic building
in a row of such.
During a recent Walk and Learn event, held by the Building
Resilience Workshop and the Stay Local Small Business
Organization, Mr. Brocato shared his knowledge of flood
insurance--how much to buy, what it will cover--and what he can
do to protect his equipment beyond insurance, elevating it as
much as possible and moving what he can't into air-tight walk-
in freezers. These efforts will enable him to be resilient.
Mr. Gerry Fullington, the manager of Massey Sporting Goods
store, on North Carrollton Avenue, on the Lafitte Corridor,
also told the Walk and Learn group that his resiliency focuses
on several activities: First, he always keeps his suppliers
paid in full so that when he needs them to send replacement
inventory quickly after a flood, they will. He also has a
robust online business that will sustain the company while the
stores are rebuilt the next time they flood.
And finally, in the same neighborhood, the manager of the
Gulf Coast Bank, Mr. Eric van Hoven, described how his staff
shows all of the bank's clients how to do all of their business
with the bank electronically so that when another flood occurs,
the customers will be able to take advantage of the bank's full
electronic banking services.
Just these brief examples show the variety of risk reducing
activities that three regular citizens of New Orleans have
honed to reduce their business risks. They are paying attention
to risk reduction, not letting it recede into their thinking
and they have committed themselves to integrate different
measures and to being part of the system of risk reduction in
New Orleans.
The president of the Greater Mid-City Merchants
Association, Mr. Tim Levy, supported the Walk and Learn. We are
hoping that such a co-teaching event will expand risk reduction
commitments for all of their business owners so that when--and
I didn't say ``if,'' but I said ``when''--another disaster
occurs, the headline of The Advocate and The Times Picayune
newspapers will read: ``Mid City Businesses; Some of the First
to Return in Large Numbers.'' A similar goal exists for all
business areas in the region.
So creating a system of risk reduction effort for a
metropolitan area is not rocket science. But unfortunately it
is more difficult to achieve. We, as a society, don't really
believe that we need to engage in it continually. Even we, who
live in a metropolitan area that is fraught with flooding
challenges and that is at the edge of the most quickly
subsiding and inundating coast in the entire world, we do not
pay enough continual attention.
I will just read now the other recommended items. They are
in my printed presentation, and that will conclude my comments.
We should take extreme care to use post disaster funds very
carefully for risk reduction. We should not waste a cent.
We should buy flood insurance. We should monitor Write Your
Own companies to encourage agents to promote flood insurance.
And, Senator Vitter, I know that's one of your concerns.
We should monitor banks with federally backed mortgages to
require flood insurance on insured homes. That protects the
entire community.
We should get Federal subsidy for lower and middle income
residents for skyrocketing insurance premium rates, as some of
you mentioned earlier.
We should recognize the importance and commit to paying
local costs for operation and maintenance of levees. We spoke
about that this morning.
We should add additional elevations to the required
building elevation. Some communities are doing it, but not
enough.
We should discontinue construction of slab-on-grade houses
in surge risk areas and dense subdivisions because it's
difficult to elevate them if they get flooded.
We should understand the reasoning and follow the NFIP
construction requirements.
We should work toward achieving more safety for critical
and public buildings, in terms of elevation, because the funds
acquired for rebuilding them will never come to us again.
We should demand and have implemented by the government,
and its contractors, efficient and effective post disaster
recovery, including mitigation, and that was mentioned this
morning.
We should increase community and parish participation in
the Community Rating System.
And finally, we should take special consideration of
restoring storm-safe housing for lower income residents, those
who can the least afford to return because of their income.
So these must all be taken and work together as a system
with the residents, with the officials, the Federal level, with
the Congress, in order for us to hope to achieve the goal of
being able to stay in this place, which all of us so much love.
Thank you, Senator Vitter.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Laska follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Senator Vitter. Thank you very much, Shirley. Thank you
very much. Just a couple of questions. First, let me start with
John and Bob, since they're in charge of these systems we're
talking about.
Besides future levee lifts, which we've talked about,
besides the Corps responsibility to run these big structures,
which we talked about--put those on the side--what are the top,
besides that, what are the top two or three potential gaps or
vulnerabilities in the system that you all are particularly
focused on? And each of you can speak in turn.
Mr. Monzon. I think, in general, future funding, to be able
to maintain and operate the system, in general. The earthen
levees--the flood protection system on the westbank is made up
mostly of earthen levees. We have some flood walls. We had some
other features that are not in Federal navigable waterways,
like the WCC. We have a sector gate and a pump station that we
inherited from the HSDRRS projects at the Bayou Segnette
complex. That is not part of the--that is not included in the
WRRDA bill.
So there are other--just making sure that we have enough
funds to adequately operate and maintain, and repair and
rehabilitate and replace these features. We cannot go back to
the days of Katrina where things weren't done just because we
didn't have the funding. So the funding will be critical for
the westbank facilities in the future.
Senator Vitter. OK. Bob.
Mr. Turner. Thank you, Senator. I agree request John with
just about everything that he said. I think, you know, there's
a couple of things that we really need to be concentrating on
here, from my perspective, even on the eastbank, and that is,
keeping the system to the authorized level of protection. That
is certainly--you know, has to be one of our most important
priorities.
And that's going to be difficult to do if we can't get the
Corps to participate with, you know, lifting these levees, as
they originally, I think, intended to do, as time progresses,
because we know that the levees are going to subside, the sea
level is rising, and we're seeing the effects of that already.
The other thing I think that we have, you know, we're
looking to try to do some changes to, regards the Inner Harbor
Navigation Canal Corridor.
And the way that the system is set up right now, whenever
there's a storm coming, all the vessels have to be evacuated
from that corridor because the--a lot of the areas adjacent to
the levees there still have the old I-walls that are still in
place, and although they provide protection from normal water
levels and high water levels, if they are impacted by a vessel,
they're going to fail, and so that could potentially put some
water into areas wherever those failures occur. And so, you
know, we're still working with the Coast Guard and the Corps to
try to do better planning with regards to that and trying to
get those vessels out of there.
We have also proposed some ideas on how to further reduce
that risk by perhaps using some storage in the central wetlands
to--just for a storm event, to further reduce that risk by
lowering water levels in the corridor and in the wetlands, as a
whole, and so those are the kind of things, I think, that we
need to be looking at in the future.
Senator Vitter. OK. Thank you, Bob. And Todd, let me ask
you, you and the Chamber work on economic development all the
time. I'm curious. As you talk to business folks considering
some project here, whether they are from outside the State or
whether they're more local, how often are you talking to them
about their concerns about hurricane flood protection?
Mr. Murphy. In almost every occasion. It's certainly a
concern, you know, when people are looking to relocate or to
expand. They are looking at the entire region from the
standpoint of protection from storms, education,
transportation, infrastructure, resources, work force. All of
those come into play, but certainly, no one wants to expand or
relocate only to have to pick up and run.
Senator Vitter. And generally speaking, how often, what
percentage of times is that a big factor leading to a decision?
Mr. Murphy. You know, I would say that it happens on
occasion. I think that there's so much that this area has to
offer, that it certainly is a lure, if you will, to get
companies here and to keep companies here.
I mean, let's face it, people come here and they get
hooked, and it typically takes about two Jazz Fests for that to
happen.
So, you know, we have a wonderful area and a lot of natural
resources that are just abundant. But I think it is a concern.
We saw it after Katrina. We saw several of our companies move
north, across the lake. They're just simply tired of running.
And so it is a concern. I think the confidence level has gotten
better. Yet, everyone knows there is still much to be done.
Senator Vitter. Right. OK. We're going to wrap up. In
closing--first of all, let's give all of our great witnesses
another round of applause. I really appreciate you all being
here.
[Applause.]
Senator Vitter. Thank you for your testimony, thanks for
all of your work. I also want to thank Messina's, that runs
this space, and the Walnut Room. They have put up with us this
morning and have been really helpful.
I want to thank AV Express, Todd and his team, Gulf South
Media, and Jim Land, our videographer, for helping us today,
and I want to thank our hosts, who let us use the building, the
Authority that runs the airport and related facilities. Thank
you all very much.
And thanks to all of you for coming out. I hope you found
this useful, but certainly, I don't want it to be an isolated
event. I want it to be a continuing conversation, so please
keep this handout that you have handy. On the left-hand side of
the page, in the blue column, is all of my contact information.
Please use that as questions, ideas, suggestions or
specific problems, like some of the insurance and other
problems that we were talking about, come up, call me and my
staff, get us involved. We work on that stuff all the time. And
if you have those issues today, talk to us here at the table
before you leave and we'll get your information and we'll get
right to work on it.
And again, this has all of my contact information,
including our website, which has easy email access.
As we close and as we go into hurricane season, which
starts June 1st, I would just repeat what many of us have said.
This protection system is important. Coastal restoration is
important. Mitigation programs, like raising structures, are
important, but ultimately, probably what's most important for
each of us, as individuals and families, is personal and family
preparedness. So take that into account and have a plan, as we
approach June 1st.
Thank you all very much for being here today.
[Additional material submitted for the record follows:]
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