Vermilionaire

From the Independent:

Not since director Robert Flaherty, in his 1948 film Louisiana Story, depicted the coming of the oil and gas industry to the Louisiana swamp as an event of elemental beauty and Cajun prosperity has the oil rig looked so good to environmentalists. But the blinking Christmas tree lights of offshore rigs might just be the ticket to fill the depleted coffers of America’s most prominent green organization, the National Audubon Society, and repair the damaged wetlands of one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the country, the Paul J. Rainey Sanctuary in Vermilion Parish.

The 26,000-acre Rainey refuge sits on the western edge of Vermilion Bay. Acquired by Audubon in 1924, Rainey was the site of oil and gas production including canal dredging until the last lease expired in 1999, according to the Times-Picayune. In 2000, Audubon bid good riddance to energy exploration on Rainey’s soil. However, exploration canals took their toll on the property. Saltwalter infiltration into the marshes that make up Rainey contributed to coastal land loss, and then Hurricane Rita heavily damaged the sanctuary. Audubon had to take a good long look at the costs of coastal restoration.

“It’s getting to the point where there is so much damage, and it just costs so much money to contain the damage,” G. Paul Kemp, director of Audubon’s Gulf Coast Initiative, told the T-P. “We know we’re fighting a losing battle.”

And so Audubon is now considering tapping the energy resources beneath Rainey in order to pay for restoration costs. This is the same National Audubon Society that has vehemently opposed drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, off the coast of Florida and California and in various wilderness locations across the nation.

Adversity makes strange bedfellows indeed. Read the entire story, from the Times-Picayune, here.

From LEAN:

The Louisiana Environmental Action Network expressed disappointment at a recent letter sent by the state Department of Environmental Quality to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The LDEQ letter is an oppositional response to the EPA’s finding of endangerment for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, expressing opposition to the federal action.(1)

“EPA’s action reflects their statutory duty and the state of the science on impacts from global warming,” said LEAN Executive Director Mary Lee Orr. “Among those impacts, Louisiana is already being impacted by sea-level rise, and faces the threats of stronger hurricanes and other weather extremes – all of which have been discussed in scientific reports for over a decade.”(2)

Orr stated that contrary to LDEQ’s assertion that the public has not been involved in this process, EPA made its decision after a public comment period that received a large number of submissions.(3) In addition, action on greenhouse gases has been expected since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they could be considered pollutants under U.S. law.

Orr noted that LDEQ took a different position in the brief it filed defending its refusal to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from the Big Cajun I power plant. At that time, DEQ stated that since regulation of greenhouse gases was being addressed by EPA, it would follow the federal agency’s lead “as the only workable approach to an issue with nationwide implications.”(4)

Former LDEQ Secretary Dr. Paul Templet, an environmental scientist retired from LSU, commented that “Asking EPA to retract their intent to regulate greenhouse gases using the Clean Air Act is irresponsible and represents a delaying tactic. Louisiana DEQ would sacrifice the long term viability of our state to short term economic gains for industry. I find it ironic that (former Secretary) Leggett uses the Air Toxics Law passed in my term at DEQ to establish Louisiana’s environmental credentials.  If I had heeded the arguments presented in his letter we would not have passed the law, and Louisiana’s air would be dirtier to this day.”

Templet also noted that Louisiana’s loss of coastal wetlands is due in part to sea-level rise caused by global warming, which is a result of greenhouse gas accumulation from societal emissions.

LEAN expressed further disappointment that LDEQ’s letter not only fails to mention that global warming is a problem for Louisiana, but suggests that the state’s only concerns are potential economic impacts of regulation on the petrochemical industry and the agency’s own anxiety about as-yet undeveloped rules that it would have to implement.(5) “If LDEQ’s statements on this issue become the official position of Louisiana,” said Orr, “then all other concerns, such as our disappearing coast, are obviously considered not worthy of mention when we speak to the nation.”

(1) U.S. EPA, “Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Finding for Greenhouse Gases Under the Clean Air Act,” December 7, 2009, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html
(2) For one example, see “Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast”, http://www.ucsusa.org/gulf/ gcchallengereport.html .
(3) U.S. EPA, “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Regulation of Greenhouse Gases Under the Clean Air Act,” July 11, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/anpr.html
(4) 19th Judicial Court, DOCKET NO. 564241 IN THE MATTER OF: LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AIR PERMITTING DECISIONS: PERMIT NO. 2260-00007-V0; PERMIT NO. PSD-LA-660(M-1); AND PERMIT NO. 2260-00007-1V1 TO LOUISIANA GENERATING, LLC, BIG CAJUN I POWER PLANT, p. 12.
(5) LDEQ’s letter can be seen at http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/

From the Times-Picayune

In a groundbreaking decision, a federal judge ruled late Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers’ mismanagement of maintenance at the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet was directly responsible for flood damage in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina.

“The failure of the Corps to recognize the destruction that the MRGO had caused and the potential hazard that it created is clearly negligent on the part of the Corps,” said U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. in his ruling. “Furthermore, the Corps not only knew, but admitted by 1988, that the MRGO threatened human life … and yet it did not act in time to prevent the catastrophic disaster that ensued with the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina.”

“The Corps’ lassitude and failure to fulfill its duties resulted in a catastrophic loss of human life and property in unprecedented proportions,” Duval wrote. “The Corps’ negligence resulted in the wasting of millions of dollars in flood protection measures and billions of dollars in Congressional outlays to help this region recover from such a catastrophe. Certainly, Congress would never have meant to protect this kind of nonfeasance on the part of the very agency that is tasked with the protection of life and property.”

Duval’s 156-page decision could result in the federal government paying $700,000 in damages to three people and a business in those areas, but also sets the stage for judgments worth billions of dollars against the government for damages suffered by as many as 100,000 other residents, businesses and local governments in those areas who filed claims with the corps after Katrina.

Duval ruled, however, that WDSU-TV anchor Norman Robinson and his wife were not entitled to damages because the corps’ dredging of the MR-GO did not affect the levee system that protects eastern New Orleans from hurricane storm surge. That probably means eastern New Orleans residents would not be able to collect on claims they’ve filed against the corps, said attorneys representing plaintiffs in the case.

“The people of this city have been vindicated,” said attorney Joseph Bruno, a leader of the large team of lawyers who represented the plaintiffs. “They didn’t do anything wrong and it’s time they be compensated.”

From BTNEP:

The Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation (BTEF) and the
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) invite the public to
celebrate the delicious resources of Louisiana, major sponsors to the BTEF
and the release of “Louisiana Estuary Cuisine,” BTNEP’s signature cookbook
at a Taste of the Estuary. Join your local, state and federal public
officials, local Chef Brandon LeBlanc, and supporters of BTEF and BTNEP,
on Friday, October 30, 2009 in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Nicholls
State University student union from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, for a four course
gourmet meal with wine pairing, and entertainment by the Lost Bayou
Ramblers. Ticket price is $50.00 and covers your delicious four course
meal and a copy of the cookbook. RSVP is strictly required, as each guest
must present a ticket for the event upon arrival. RSVP’s must be made by
4:30 pm on October 14, 2009 to Sandra Helmuth at sandra@btnep.org or by
calling 1-800-259-0869.

Enjoy an evening of food, music, and people at a Taste of the
Estuary.  At this event, BTNEP will honor major donors who have
contributed to the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation. The recipes
for each course will be from “Louisiana Estuary Cuisine: A Culinary Guide
to Cooking with Plants and Animals in Louisiana.” You’ll be able to take
home your copy of the cookbook and try your hand at these unique and
fantastic recipes, all of which feature Louisiana products.

Throughout the evening you can pick up free educational materials
from BTNEP, hear Cajun music by the Lost Bayou Ramblers, and get to meet
the author and Executive Chef Brandon LeBlanc, photographer Lane Lefort,
and graphic design artist Marian Brister Martinez who all contributed to
the new cookbook.  Additionally, members of your legislative delegation
both on the national and state level are invited to join us.

Tickets are available by contacting the BTNEP office at
1-800-259-0869 or email Sandra Helmuth, sandra@btnep.org.

From LEAN:

When: Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 6:00p.m.
Where: New Iberia High School

Save Lake Peigneur, Inc. is asking concerned citizens to attend the DNR Public Hearing for the Mineral Board Approval of the Operational Agreement between the DNR and AGL Resources/Jefferson Island Storage & Hub.

The hearing will be held at New Iberia High School, 1301 E Admiral Doyle Dr. New Iberia, LA (on the corner of Jefferson Terrace & Admiral Doyle), at 6PM.

Jefferson Island Storage and Hub LLC. (JISH) natural gas storage facility, owned by AGL Resorces, Inc., currently operates two storage caverns and an extensive pipeline facility near Lake Peigneur in Erath. The company plans to expand the facility, pending the settlement of current litigation against the State of Louisiana.

The hearing is scheduled to address concerns before the State makes a decision whether or not to approve a principal agreement that would settle the litigation and enable AGL Resources to expand its natural gas storage facility at Jefferson Island.

Storage of natural gas and other substances including carbon dioxide in existing caverns and new caverns would be permitted. The current agreement cites the withdrawal of three million gallons of drinking water daily from the Upper Chicot Aquifer, however the agreement would also allow for the request of additional water removal from the Aquifer.

Save Lake Peigneur, Inc. has requested for a federal Enviromental Impact Statement to be conducted prior to approval of this agreement or permitting.

For More Information About This Issue Go To http://www.savelakepeigneur.org/site.php

From LACoast.gov:

South Louisiana (south of 31 degrees latitude) aerial photography taken in 2008, in color infrared (CIR) format and at one-meter resolution, is now available at the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources / Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration’s SONRIS GIS website.

The SONRIS GIS website can be reached in a few different ways, one of which is via this URL:

http://sonris-www.dnr.state.la.us/gis/sonris/viewer.htm

From LEAN:

…
The 23nd annual LEAN People’s Conference will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009.

We decided to mix it up a bit this year. We decided to move the conference to the Lod Cook Alumni Center at LSU in Baton Rouge, a very nice facility on beautiful University Lake. We have also decided to focus more on celebrating all of your accomplishments and getting us all inspired to do more. This year the conference will feature the LEAN Awards Ceremony, some updates on the good things that are going on and a featured speaker and film showing that should be a real treat! Come reconnect with your LEAN family, get recharged and reinvigorated and just generally pass a good time!

After the LEAN conference we hope that everyone will be able to head over to Alligator Bayou to attend a fundraising event that Alligator Bayou Tours is holding to raise funds for their Save Alligator Bayou campaign. There will be a live Cajun band and plenty of wonderful Cajun food.
…
Featuring keynote speaker, explorer, writer and filmmaker, Jon Bowermaster.
With the first ever screening of Jon’s latest film which focuses on Louisiana and features some of our LEAN family!
…
Begun in 1999, Jon’s OCEANS 8 project is a series of expeditions launched to explore the world’s oceans from the seat of a sea kayak. Used as both transportation and as floating ambassadors, sea kayaks allow Bowermaster and his teams – comprised of some of the world’s top photographers, filmmakers, scientists and navigators – to reach corners of the world rarely seen. The goal of each expedition is adventure crossed with an assessment of the health of the seas and the lives of the people who live and depend on them.

His reporting on the relationship between man and the sea continues, with new films on the Galapagos, Louisiana and the Maldives in-production. His blog – “Notes From Sea Level” (www.jonbowermaster.com) – gives him a daily forum for continuing the conversation with a growing audience. He is currently finishing two new films, “What Would Darwin Think?” about the relationship between man and the Galapagos and “SoLA” about Southern Louisianans and the water that surrounds them – creeks, rivers, bayous, the Gulf, the Mississippi.

From LaCoast.org:

Chalmette, LA — With hurricane season heating up, the Army Corps of Engineers, levee board and parish government officials, environmental organizations, and community leaders will meet on Tuesday to answer questions on efforts to restore wetlands destroyed by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and increase storm protection.
The forum is being coordinated by the MRGO Must Go coalition.  Free dinner will be served.

WHAT:
St. Bernard Parish Community Forum
WHO:
Timothy Doody (Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East President)
William McCartney (St. Bernard Parish Coastal Zone Management Administrator)
John Lopez (Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation Coastal Sustainability Program Director)
Greg Miller (U.S. Army Corps Senior Project Manager)
Ron Chapman (NUNEZ Associate Professor of History)
William Hyland (St. Bernard Parish Historian)
WHEN:
Tuesday, August 11th 6:30-8:30pm
WHERE:
St. Bernard Council on Aging (next to government complex)
8201 A. West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, Louisiana

**Interview Opportunities**
The MRGO Must GO coalition is a group of 17 environmental, community, and social justice organizations working together to restore and protect Coastal Louisiana and the people who reside there.  Contact Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation for more information: (225) 229-1944.

MRGO Must Go Coalition members include: American Rivers, CAWIC, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Global Green, Gulf Restoration Network, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Levees.org, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, Lower Ninth Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, MQVN Community Development Corporation, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club – Delta Chapter.

From Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Tuesday July 28th:

Damages to the Spanish Lake Basin from change in water level continue.

PARIEVILLE, LA – A large number of dead fish floated up to the end of Alligator Bayou today near the control structure that connects it to Bayou Manchac. Foul odors had been noticed in the area starting around Wednesday of last week but the large numbers of dead fish were only noticed today. It appears that it could have been easily a few hundred fish that were killed. Species that have been seen include many catfish, gar and buffalo. These species, particularly the gar, are generally tolerant of adverse conditions.
…
Unfortunately this is not a complete surprise. It was expected that, with the extremely low water levels that were recently implemented, the water would become starved of oxygen and choked with algae, phytoplankton and potentially higher concentrations of waste materials.
…
We think that it is a tragedy that this treasure, which has been used by so many people over many generations to hunt, fish and recreate, is being badly damaged and rendered unusable.