Citing breach of ethics, Levees.org challenged 16 people who received medals from the Army Corps of Engineers for their role investigating the deadly levee failures to give them back.

Sixteen members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) received the Outstanding Civilian Service medal for their participation peer reviewing the corps-sponsored levee investigation a whopping 18 months before their work was complete. The corps also paid them $2 million.

An task force examining ASCE-led engineering reviews also criticized such behavior because it reduced the credibility of the final product. Bolstered by the task force’s findings, Levees.org asked the ASCE members to do the right thing and give their medals back.

A member of the External Review Panel tasked to assure engineering quality and independence of IPET refused to comment until he checked with ASCE headquarters. Robert Gilbert, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas said, “I have a contract with ASCE and that contract says I have to go through ASCE for media requests.”

This is a perfect example of what the Task Force called “extremely tight controls” placed on assessment team members with regard to interaction with the press.

The Medals Challenge is part of our ongoing illumination of reasons why America needs the 8/29 Investigation Act. When passed, the Investigation will likely be uncomfortable for some. It will ask hard questions. But the Wall Street Bailout shows what terrible things can happen when the hard questions are not asked.

Look for me and HJ Bosworth Jr. Levees.org’s research director on Dennis Woltering’s Sunday Morning Show, WWL-TV Channel 4 at 10:30a October 5. We will discuss the Medals Challenge.