Louisiana's Berm Project Moving Forward.
ASR closely watches the Louisiana Berm Project debate and finds the proposal overly ambitions. Agencies and individuals have questioned the proposed effectiveness of the project and we are inclined to agree. There are a number of issues ranging from outlined construction time frame to the upcoming huriccane season which place serious concerns on the feasibility of the Louisana Berm Project. The potential effects on Louisina's tidal marshes are of even greater concern due to possibilities of salinity increases and an even greater influx of oil due to the bern not blocking all water inlets. Robert Young wrote and opinion piece for the New York Times which we find points out the potentially serious consequences of the project.
"Of the many cleanup solutions being pursued in the Gulf of Mexico, few are as ambitious as Louisiana’s berm project. The Army Corps of Engineers recently authorized the state to construct some 45 miles of artificial berms in an effort to protect Mississippi River Delta wetlands and barrier islands from the oil gushing from the Deepwater Horizon leak, with BP promising to pay the state $360 million for the entire project. Many more miles may be authorized in the coming weeks.
The state understandably wants to move quickly and on a large scale, and no one wants to stop a project like this simply because it is spending too much of BP’s money. The problem, however, is that the berms won’t work as promised, and their construction will monopolize resources that could be used more effectively elsewhere."
Adam Daigian
An article published today on the New York Times 'Green' Blog entitled, "Stop the Sand Berms, Scientists Plead," continues coverage of the sand berm construction in the Gulf of Mexico as a response to the Deep Horizon oil spill. Despite objection from scientists, stakeholders, and even government agencies, construction moves forward without clear indication of benefits and admits concerns over grave environmental impacts.
"In an open letter to Thad W. Allen, the retired Coast Guard admiral overseeing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill response, almost two dozen coastal scientists from Louisiana and around the country have urged the federal government to halt the construction of sand berms in the gulf, calling the project ineffective in the fight against the oil and a waste of resources that could have heavy environmental consequences."
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Reader Comments (1)
They should get ASR to do a study.