NEW ORLEANS — Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana expressed significant concerns on Thursday about a $3 billion initiative that has been regarded as crucial for the restoration of the state’s rapidly eroding coastline. He criticized the escalating expenses and warned of potential adverse impacts on a coastal culture reliant on fishing, shrimping, and oyster harvesting.
In his most detailed and critical statements regarding the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project since taking office in January, Landry addressed a Senate committee in Baton Rouge. His comments follow a warning from federal officials that any funds allocated to the state for the project would need to be returned unless the state could assure a firm commitment to its development.
While not outright opposing the project, Landry emphasized the necessity of finding a middle ground with those who have voiced disapproval. Senate Committee Chair and Republican Senator Pat Connick acknowledged that lawmakers face a challenging decision regarding future actions.
The ambitious project aims to direct 75,000 cubic feet of sediment per second from the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin in southeastern Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish. The goal is to develop between 20 to 40 square miles of new land over a span of five decades.
Concerns over the project have emerged from various stakeholders, including residents of Plaquemines Parish, and now include the governor. Landry has compared the potential detrimental effects on shrimp and oyster harvesters to the historical decline in use of the Cajun French language, which was suppressed in schools in southwest Louisiana for generations.
Despite the ground-breaking ceremony for the project in August 2023, legal challenges from different parties have hindered its progress. Landry’s critical remarks have further fueled doubts about the project’s outlook, even in the face of backing from environmental advocates.
Supporters of the project, funded through a settlement related to BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, quickly responded to Landry’s comments during and after the Senate committee meeting. Representative Joseph Orgeron, a Republican from Cut Off, emphasized that the most sensible approach would involve moving forward with the project as it has been adequately permitted and funded using BP oil spill settlements. He cautioned that delays continue to increase costs for the state.
Furthermore, while Landry referred to the endeavor as experimental, Orgeron contended that smaller diversion projects have demonstrated success. Corey Miller, the director of community engagement at the Pontchartrain Conservancy nonprofit, highlighted the critical need to protect breeding grounds for juvenile marine life in the face of ongoing wetland losses.
The project was originally conceived to respond to a coastline that is disappearing at an alarming rate due to a combination of natural processes and human activities. These factors include land subsidence, rising sea levels, the impact of canal construction by oil and gas industries, and the comprehensive levee system managing the Mississippi River, which, while preventing floods, obstructs the natural sediment flow that aids land-building.
The conservation organization Restore the Mississippi River Delta noted that Landry’s comments indicate a significant change in the coastal restoration narrative. They warned that failing to proceed with the project as designed and funded could place local citizens and businesses at heightened risk in the event of future storms.
Landry cited the rising expenses for the Mid-Barataria project, which have soared from about $1.5 billion to over $3 billion, predicting that any costs exceeding $2.9 billion would ultimately fall on the shoulders of Louisiana taxpayers.