Draft Report Released for Southwest Coastal Study

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has released its Southwest Coastal Louisiana Study Revised Integrated Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement for a 45-day public comment period.

This report revises the draft “Southwest Coastal Louisiana Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement” previously released in December 2013 and contains modified Tentatively Selected Plans (TSP) for the National Economic Development (NED) and National Ecosystem Restoration (NER) components of the study.

The NED purpose is to reduce the risk of hurricane and storm surge and flood damages. The NED TSP still consists of a programmatic nonstructural plan for the flood proofing of eligible structures in the 25-year floodplain by various methods including the elevation of eligible residential structures, dry flood proofing of eligible non-residential commercial structures, and the construction of berms and floodwalls of less than six feet in height around eligible industrial complexes and warehouses.

The purpose of the NER portion of the plan is to restore environmental conditions for the Chenier Plain ecosystem. The NER TSP consists of 51 ecosystem restoration features that are now being recommended for construction, in addition to the recommendation for a long-range study of the Calcasieu Ship Channel salinity control structure.

Community members and stakeholders are invited to comment on the draft integrated feasibility report and environmental impact statement.

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