Post Katrina Recommendations for New Orleans

Vision and the Danger of Corruption

Given the substantial amount of federal investment going into rebuilding the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Friends of the Earth recommends that all actions be considered from the long-range perspective of setting the best possible example in post-disaster reconstruction.

First and foremost, the mentality of bulldozing everything that incurred some storm damage is badly misplaced.  Such an approach will not only eliminate recoverable and remarkable historic homes and buildings, but will also deprive the city of a broad-based set of jobs for local people at many skill levels.  It will set the stage for transnational corporations to dominate the rebuilding decisions.

It is clear that many transnational corporations want to get in on the action with billions in federal dollars dangling before their eyes.  Already Halliburton and Bechtel, to name but two, were able to win lucrative no-bid contracts before public outrage struck.

Press reports in November say that Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into the levee failures and examining charges of corruption in the design and construction of these levees.  FBI agent James Bernazzani said agents have received numerous tips about possible malfeasance.  The specter of corruption casts a pall over the prospects of rebuilding.  The need for comprehensive oversight and inspection of all the reconstruction monies is now abundantly clear.  It would be cruel tragedy to spend billions only to have a repeat of the debacle.

 

Environmental Justice

A fundamental question, given the neglect shown to the poor and minority victims of the flooding, is whether these people are going to be involved in planning the restoration of the city.  There certainly is an extraordinary opportunity for involvement of youth and for a special social justice initiative to implement some of the following recommendations.      

Rebuilding Principles

Any rebuilding should put together a comprehensive public transportation system that minimizes the need for autos in the city, that restores the famous trolley network to its formerly robust state, and that connects the airport and downtown with good transit options so that visitors don’t have to sit in another typical Interstate Highway Parking Lot before entering the city.

Buildings can be reconstructed to achieve maximal water and energy conservation and with weather-resistant building materials obtained in an environmentally sustainable manner.  Family friendly mixed-use redevelopment can recreate walkable neighborhoods.

Close examination should be paid to the portion of the city below sea level.  Some elevation should be selected below which the land will be put in public ownership for recreation and natural areas and as a way of minimizing future flood damage.

Rebuilding should be done so as to relocate chemical, oil, and other hazardous facilities and storage areas away from neighborhoods and in such a way as to safeguard against spillage in the event of storms.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GULF COAST

Working with nature is the best policy in looking to the future of the Gulf Coast.  A fundamental principal for looking at reconstruction along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is to avoid reconstruction in the storm surge zone.  With global warming causing rising sea level and more intense hurricanes, the storm surge zone will be expanding inland, so there is ample reason to exercise precaution with an extra-large buffer.

Friends of the Earth opposed construction of casinos in environmentally sensitive areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers for refusing to do a cumulative environmental impact statement describing the consequences.  All the Gulf Coast casinos were damaged or destroyed.  The State of Mississippi has now passed a law to provide for building casinos on dry land with an 800 foot setback from the shore.  But 800 feet is not even three football fields in length.  Thus, the stage will be set for the next catastrophe.

Restoration of a natural coastline with reconstruction of some dune systems could give good protection for up to category III hurricanes and offer some buffer to category IV and V storms, according to Duke University Professor Orrin Pilkey.  This could be done for probably one tenth the cost of heavy duty shoreline construction or artificial replenishment of sand on the beaches—an action being strongly advocated by some developers and shoreline owners.   

Where rebuilding of towns does occur, the basic principles outlined for New Orleans reconstruction should apply.