New Essay on Army Corps Competence Contains Excellent Analysis of Katrina Flood Event

Sunday, March 18th, 2012

Aerial view of London Avenue levee breach site. Note home in middle of Warrington Drive at upper left hand corner.

A new essay by Chris Edwards just released by the Cato Institute examines the Army Corps of Engineers’ competence in building infrastructure for civilian purposes noting that the agency which employs about 23,000 people will spend about $9.2 billion in fiscal 2012.

The essay concludes most of the Army Corps’ activities do not need to be carried out by the federal government. Some of its activities—such as flood control and the management of recreational areas—should be turned over to state and local governments. Other activities—such as seaport dredging and hydropower generation—should be turned over to the private sector.

We note with appreciation that the essay contains a well written analysis of the Army Corps of Engineers’ role in the flooding of regional New Orleans during Katrina.

Read More » Leave a comment

Army Corps top brass now involved in Levees.org’s quest to list breach sites historic

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Jo-Ellen Darcy, Asst Secretary of the Army Civil Works

Ms. Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) has responded in partial fulfillment of a federal requirement to Levees.org’s nomination of two levee breach sites to the National Register of Historic Places.

In August 2010, Levees.org first nominated the sites of two major levee breaches during the 2005 storm to the prestigious register including the breach of 17th Street Canal and the east side north breach of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, both in New Orleans. The latter breach site is owned and administered by the Corps of Engineers, which requires the state office seek the comments of this federal agency prior to submission.

Normally, the Corps’ Federal Preservation Officer responds to requests for comments on National Register nominations. But there appears to be intense interest shown by the Corps as demonstrated by an Assistant Secretary of the Army being the signatory of this letter.

Read More » Leave a comment

Levees.org founder will speak to 12 delegates from Venezuela

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.org. Photo/Stanford Rosenthal

Today, Levees.org founder Sandy Rosenthal will speak to twelve delegates from Venezuela about grass roots civic engagement in the New Orleans region.

The delegates are in the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

Ms. Rosenthal will speak on how she and her son age 15 at the time founded Levees.org and the work the group has been doing since the flood.

The New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council is a non-profit organization that arranges professional appointments and cultural activities for over 400 international leaders sent to New Orleans each year from the U.S. State Department International Visitor Leadership Program.

Read More » Leave a comment