home > Noise > Katrina> Justice
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court Rules
Kate Medley
New Orleans residents in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
November 19, 2009
More than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
The Corps failure to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet canal, "was not policy, but insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness," U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. wrote in the ruling.
"For over 40 years, the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the MRGO. ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so. Clearly, the expression 'talk is cheap' applies here."
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by six New Orleans plaintiffs, and has resulted in five monetary awards ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. Duval ruled against one couple, CNN reports.
More than 1,800 people died in the storm, most—nearly 1,600—in Louisiana, where Katrina devastated New Orleans when the city's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred. Overall, the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people, causing more than $81 billion in damage. FEMA called Katrina "the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history."
Recovery continues throughout the areas affected by the storm, including the entire Mississippi Coast.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs say that this ruling gives New Orleans residents ammunition to push the federal government to do more.
"It has been proven in a court of law that the drowning of New Orleans was not a natural disaster, but a preventable man-made travesty," the attorneys said in a statement. "The government has always had a moral obligation to rebuild New Orleans. This decision makes that obligation a matter of legal responsibility."
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/19/09 at 09:48 AM. [printer version] Share |
COMMENTS
Anyone besides me think this puts paid to McGowan's development, er, I mean flood control project in a big way?
posted by Pilgrim on 11/19/09 at 11:22 AM
Politicians need to stop fiddling with the Corps and let them do their jobs. At this point, and they know it, we need to go full speed ahead with levees in Jackson, or a whole bunch of people are going to say "we told you so."
Before the worlds of Pickering, Lott, Bush, et al, started falling apart, the developers thought they would power some version of Two Lakes through the Corps. My guess is that the Corps has known for a long time that it's not a good idea, but the political heat was on heavy-duty. Now, they have an administration that is not likely to earmark a plan to flood the wetlands, etc., and they know it's time to move on what we should have done long ago: built levees (along with planned green space, etc.)
It's shameful this thing has drawn out this long. And everybody who paid off a politician to cause these kinds of delays ought to be flogged.
posted by DonnaLadd on 11/19/09 at 11:39 AM
posted by Ironghost on 11/19/09 at 11:59 AM
Page 1 of 1 pages
:: recentcomments
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:26 PMWant Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Brian C Johnson: The courts will not allow the state to drug test Medicaid recipients, so why waste money and effort on it? How exactly are single mothers--who make up the majority ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:19 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Duan C.: Since you guys have turned the thread into a discussion of politics. A while back during one of our meetings we discussed a coming up with a grading system for our elected officials ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 01:06 PM
Want Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Ronni_Mott: Republican conservatives are truly confusing. Aren't they the ones who want less government regulation? I suppose that only counts if its regulating things on their ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:35 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Walt: Renaldo/Blackwatch you have been simply marvelous in your insight and truth telling on this piece. So glad you're back. I thought we had lost you since I didn't see your posts for so ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:22 PM
[Editor's Note] Aloha, Jackson
DonnaLadd: Whoops. On second reference in the above column, I said "Air Force caption" instead of Army captain. I've corrected it above.
Feb 08, 2012 | 12:12 PM
Want Medicaid? Ditch the Vanity Plate
Laurie Bertram Roberts: I will say what I said before how does he even know how someone paid for that $30 tag. It could've been a gift they may have used their tax check because ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 11:43 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: Of course, people learn at different speeds; I certainly didn't learn what I know now about writing and journalism craft until I was nearly 40 (of course, that had to do as much as ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 09:56 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Kudos to you and to your Prof. Cant take anything from ya. But the "problem" with the craft around here (and a LOT of things) is that eveyone considers themselves an authority. I ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 09:19 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: I don't want to derail this great thread with journalism lessons, but I'll answer Brad quickly about the problems with yes-or-no questions: Sometimes you can get lucky and get a ...
Feb 08, 2012 | 05:33 AM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Renaldo Bryant: @Duan In my post about corporate America, I noted that social justice and equity must be the only context under which interactions and contestations must take place. Simply ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 04:41 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Well, Donna, as a "good" journalist. In my day..a DAMN good one. Ive gotten plenty of broader answers by follwing up with a "why" or "why not". and honestly the WHY of Kenny Stokes ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 04:14 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Duan C.: "Also, transforming Jxn has to be a metro concern, not just a Jxn proper concern. White Flight and residential segregation must be addressed......In the Jxn metro area, they don’t ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:31 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: No, yes-or-no questions draw completely different kinds of answers, and usually empty sound bites, thus derailing the possibility of getting an intelligent answer. Good journalists ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:18 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
Kamikaze: Well, a why or why not follow up would take it out of the "yes or no" I think. I dont think Ward 3 needs another councilperson with a "career politician" mentality. The spectre of ...
Feb 07, 2012 | 03:01 PM
[Kamikaze] 'I'm No Token'
DonnaLadd: I'm not interested in term-limit questions, or getting anyone to pledge to them), and I try to never ask a yes-or-no question, but the other ones look good. Thanks to both of you. ...
e-mail newsletter
Sign up for the JFP Daily Newsletter to receive breaking news, local events, music listings and more by e-mail.
3jfp featured event
Yoga for Non-violence - 108 Sun Salutations
Feb 18, 2012 - All levels of ability and endurance are welcome to participate in the yoga mala. Free sun salutation classes given at many Jackson yoga studios. Proceeds benefit the Center for Violence Prevention. more
|
Guests online: 254
© Jackson Free Press, Inc. - portions of code by CC with EE. User agreement and privacy statement. |
