The nations' citizens and Louisiana deserve the 8/29 Investigation, a third-party independent analysis of the flood protection failures during Hurricane Katrina because:

• the official levee investigation, the Intergency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) was managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the same agency responsible for the flood protection's performance - a clear conflict of interest.
• two significant non-governmental levee analysis teams, the Independent Levee Investigation Team and Team- Louisiana conflict with the IPET in five (5) of seven (7) of the major levee failure mechanisms.
• two ethics panels - one led by retired Congressman Sherwood Boehlert R-NY - are currently underway to examine charges that the Corps of Engineers colluded with the American Society of Civil Engineers to hide the mistakes of the corps, to intimidate anyone who tried to intervene and to delay the results of the IPET until the publics' attention had turned elsewhere. The results will be released in July 2008.

For the above reasons, there is intense controversy surrounding the integrity of the official IPET currently being used to redesign and construct levees that protect the lives and property of 1.5 million Americans and educate civil engineers nationwide on levee construction.

The Army Corps of Engineers cannot predict the future and properly develop a flood protection system if they do not understand the past.

How would this Investigation be structured?
This Investigation would be an objective look by unbiased eyes at data already collected. The 9-11 Commission's model of bipartisan co-chairmanship provides a good model in assuring such objectivity. Those who serve on this Investigation would also be required to have expertise in the fields of engineering and flood control.

What would the Investigation look at?
The 8/29 Investigation would examine decades of possibly flawed governmental policy at the federal, state and local level. It would be a comprehensive analysis of flood protection projects and the effects of coastal erosion.

How much time and how much money are needed?
The study will cost about $5 million - one tenth of one percent of the money currently set aside to rebuild the flood protection. It will take about a year to complete.

Conclusion:
The 8/29 Investigation is vital to reestablishing public trust. This is not about placing blame, but about moving forward. The citizens of American deserve a levee investigation they can truly trust, and taxpayers need a full return on the investment dollars that Congress authorizes.

Current Supporters:

On June 11, 2007 the Legislature of the State of Louisiana
unanimously passed a resolution calling for the 8/29 Investigation Act

New Orleans City Council
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce
Jefferson Parish Council
St. Bernard Parish Council
St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce
St. Tammany Parish Council
Second Wind, Small Business Coalition Metro New Orleans

New Orleans CityBusiness
Gambit Weekly
The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA)

NAACP - New Orleans
National Urban League
League of Women Voters, New Orleans
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater New Orleans Section
The Citizens Road Home Action Team, CHAT
LA Roots
ACORN

Environmental Defense
Gulf Restoration Network
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
Save our Wetlands, Inc

Team Louisiana (PDF Link) / LA Dept of Transportation and Development
Robert Bea, U Cal / Independent Levee Investigation Team
Oliver Houck, Professor of Law, Tulane University

US Senator Mary Landrieu D-LA
US Sentator David Vitter R-LA
US Congressman Zach Wamp R-TN
US Congressman Charlie Melancon D-LA

LA Governor Bobby Jindal R-LA

LA Senator Walter Boasso R-1
LA Senator Julie Quinn R-6
LA Rep Karen Carter D-93
LA Rep Charmaine Marchand D-99

For more facts, read our Factsheet.