Corps public meetings to discuss proposed environmental mitigation plans

Published March 7, 2012

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, is hosting public meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, March 14 and 15, 2012 to disclose the proposed sites that would mitigate for impacts to swamps, marshes and bottomland hardwood forests generated by construction of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System.

 

 

Construction of the hurricane system is nearly complete and defends against a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring each year, also known as a 100-year storm surge event.

 

 

“Throughout construction of the hurricane system the Corps avoided and minimized impacts to natural resources," said Soheila Holley, senior project manager.  “These public meetings provide community members the opportunity to review the sites where we are proposing the mitigation would occur for any impacts we could not avoid.”

 

 

Each public meeting will begin with an informational open house and be followed by a brief presentation during which the Corps will describe the criteria used to identify the proposed sites. The Corps’ mitigation team evaluated a total of more than 800 possible mitigation sites, many of which were suggested by community members during the scoping process.

 

 

Public meeting details are:

 

 

West Bank & Vicinity Risk Reduction

 

Proposed sites mitigate for impacts generated by construction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex, Mississippi River Co-located levees, Eastern Tie-In, Harvey to Westwego Levee, Lake Cataouatche Levee, Bayou Segnette Floodgate Complex and Western Tie-In including associated government furnished borrow sites located in Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes.

 

 

When:
Wednesday, March 14, 2012                                     Open house 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion

 

 

Where: Westwego Ernest Tassin Senior Center

 

701 4th St., Westwego, LA 70094

 

      

 

Lake Pontchartrain & Vicinity Risk Reduction

 

Proposed sites mitigate for impacts generated by construction of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barriers at Lake Borgne, Seabrook Floodgate Complex, Bayou Dupre Control Structure, Chalmette Loop Levee, Caernarvon Floodwall, Orleans Lakefront Levees and Floodwalls, Causeway Bridge Floodwall, Jefferson Parish Lakefront Levees, West Return Floodwall, La Branche Wetlands Levee projects, including associated government furnished borrow sites, located in Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes.

 

 

When:             Thursday, March 15, 2012
Open house 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion

 

 

Where: Church at New Orleans

11700 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

 

 

Questions or comments should be addressed to:

 

 

Patricia Leroux

 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

 

P.O. Box 60267

 

New Orleans, LA 70160-0267

 

Phone: 504-862-1544

 

Fax: 504-862-2088

 


Contact
Rene Poche
504-862-1767
rene.g.poche@usace.army.mil

Release no. 12-004