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Corps to discuss projects for hurricane protection

Section: Community

Mark Schleifstein

The Army Corps of Engineers will outline details of hurricane levee construction plans for Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and efforts being made to offset their environmental impacts in six public meetings during the next three months.

The meetings are part of a special environmental assessment process being used by the corps in designing structures to protect the New Orleans area from flooding caused by a 100-year hurricane, which is defined as a storm with a 1 in 100 chance of occurring in any year. Most of the levees and other structures are scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the 2011 hurricane season.

The alternative environmental arrangements being used by the corps allow it to group together projects based on their complexity, human and natural impacts, and location. Grouping the projects into "Individual Environmental Reports" allows corps planners to speed up the environmental assessment process and still comply with federal law.

Each meeting begins at 6 p.m. with an open house where corps project managers will be available to answer questions. More formal project presentations begin at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion period.

The meetings are:

-- Tuesday -- St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, 329 S. Jaime Blvd., Avondale, to discuss the Harvey to Westwego Levee, Lake Cataouatche Levee, Western Terminus Levee and Company Canal Floodwall, which are included in reports 14, 15, 16 and 17. Potential borrow material locations also will be discussed.

-- Jan. 17 -- N.P. Trist Middle School, 1 Pirates Cove, Meraux, to discuss projects in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, including Bayou Bienvenue and Bayou Dupre control structures, Caernarvon Floodwall, Chalmette Loop Levee and proposed navigable floodgates to block water entering the Industrial Canal, which are included in reports 8, 9, 10 and 11. The corps also will discuss potential areas from which borrow materials may be obtained.

-- Feb. 7 -- Church at New Orleans, 11700 Chef Menteur Highway, to discuss the proposed navigable floodgates to block water entering the Industrial Canal, the subject of report 11, and potential borrow material locations.

-- Feb. 26 -- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 6249 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, to discuss the New Orleans lakefront levee, a second levee section west of Industrial Canal, proposed long-term structures to close the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue canal mouths; and potential borrow material locations. These projects are included in reports 4 and 5, with report 5 addressing both New Orleans and Jefferson Parish.

-- Feb. 28 -- East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, to discuss the St. Charles East Bank levee and the Jefferson Parish Lakefront Levee, which are included in reports 1, 2 and 3; and potential borrow material locations. Report 1, titled LaBranche Wetlands Levee, covers a study area in St. Charles Parish. Report 2 covers the West Return Floodwall on the St. Charles-Jefferson Parish line. Report 3 is about the Jefferson Parish Lakefront Levee.

-- Mar. 13 -- Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Moreau Center, 4123 Woodland Dr., Algiers, to discuss the Harvey and Algiers Canal Levee and floodwalls in Jefferson, Orleans and Plaquemines parishes, which are included in reports 12 and 13, and potential borrow material locations. Report 12 covers the areas around the Algiers and Harvey canals. Report 13 studies the Hero Canal Levee and the Eastern terminus of the levee in Plaquemines Parish.

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