NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sen. David Vitter wants the Army Corps of Engineers and Congress to re-evaluate what work should be done on three crucial drainage canals in New Orleans, two of which broke during Hurricane Katrina with catastrophic effect.
Recently, the corps said it wanted to spend $804 million on replacing a set of pumps and floodgates it built after Katrina at the mouths of the three canals with stronger structures. But Louisiana officials, worried that the corps’ plan poses risks, have been clamoring for more costly solutions.
Vitter sent letters this week to Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, the corps’ chief engineer, and to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., asking them to examine the issue. Boxer is the chairman of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the corps.
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