{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221005418/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-pushing-corps-to-rethink-west-shore-hurricane-protection-plan", "Vitter Pushing Corps to Rethink West Shore Hurricane Protection Plan", "2013-09-11", "2013", "2013-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "David Vitter", "V000127", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Vitter Pushing Corps to Rethink West Shore Hurricane Protection Plan\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSays they can protect more people for basically same cost to feds with locally-preferred plan\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, September 11, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 U.S. Sen. David Vitter is calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rethink their recent tentatively-selected plan for the West Shore Hurricane Protection Project. On August 23, the Corps announced their \u201ctentatively selected plan,\u201d but the alignment they chose protects fewer parishes than a separate alignment that is preferred by local officials.\n\u201cTo help better understand the needs of the non-federal sponsor and their willingness to work with the Corps, I\u2019m urging the Corps to accompany the locals on a helicopter tour of the project study area,\u201d Vitter said. \u201cThe locally-preferred alignment would offer a lot more protection for a lot more people for basically the same price to the federal government.\u201d\nVitter is the top ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Corps.\nThe text of Vitter\u2019s letter to the Corps is below.\n  September 10, 2013\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL  IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUESTED\n  Colonel Richard Hansen  District Commander and District Engineer  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers \u2013 CEMVN  P.O. Box 60267  New Orleans, LA 70160\nDear Colonel Hansen:\nI am writing to express my unequivocal support for the locally-preferred option (Alternative D) to construct the West Shore Hurricane Protection System. The recently-released Integrated Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement clearly proves that Alternative D provides a more robust level of flood protection over the Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps') tentatively selected plan (Alternative C). While only slightly more costly that the Corps' plan, Alternative D would protect significantly more communities and structures, lower the number of impacted pipeline crossings, and nearly quadruple the protected miles of Interstate 10 \u2013 the main arterial highway evacuation route out of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area.\nThe Corps\u2019 decision to move forward with Alternative C seems to be based on two key factors: cost and encapsulation of wetlands. I strongly believe these justifications simply do not hold up under careful review.\nThe great majority of the marginal cost increases to construct the more-robust Alternative D will be the responsibility of the non-Federal sponsor, not the Corps. The non-Federal sponsor will be responsible for 35% of the $10 million difference between Alternatives C and D, leaving the Corps responsible for the remaining $6.5 million \u2013 a very small .7% of the total cost. The Corps has also pointed to the greater operating cost of Alternative D, but that is entirely born by the state and locals, and these partners are begging for the added responsibility. This is a small price to pay to better protect more communities in South Louisiana.\nThe state and local sponsors are also willing and eager to protect and maintain any wetlands encapsulated by the project, and are willing to work with the Corps to ensure environmental compliance. They have a proven and positive track record in this regard, specifically in managing nearby areas in St. John and St. James parishes.\nTo help better understand the needs of the non-Federal sponsor and their willingness to work with the Corps, I request that you accompany them on a helicopter tour of the project study area, preferably in the next 10 days but as soon as possible, and personally examine the benefits of Alternative D.\nAs you engage in the public comment review period and tour the project study area, I also strongly encourage you to maintain a strict schedule in achieving a signed Chief\u2019s Report in late 2014.\nSincerely,\n  David Vitter  United States Senator", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221005418/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-pushing-corps-to-rethink-west-shore-hurricane-protection-plan"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.275553997606039, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}