Pump to the River Information
Vitter Urges Corps Leaders to Move Forward on Pump to the River Option in meeting with Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp and Col. Alvin Lee
(Washington, D.C.) ‑ U.S. Sen. David Vitter this week met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief Engineer Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp and New Orleans District Engineer Col. Alvin Lee urging them to recognize Congress’s intent to move forward with studying the design and analysis of the pump to the river plan for Jefferson Parish. The Corps has advocated for a different protection plan, option 1, for Jefferson Parish that involves pump stations at the mouths of the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue canals. This plan has been criticized as not fully accounting for the operational challenges that arise during major storm events and not fully protective of public safety. “Both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives passed language that I pushed for that will be in the final supplemental emergency funding bill and directs the Corps to pursue the pump to the river plan as the best method to protect Jefferson Parish,” said Vitter. “I wanted to clarify for the Corps leadership Congress’s intent for this important work.”
On November 30th, 2007, the Corps released their technical report on alternative pump stations. This technical report was required by the 5th emergency supplemental appropriations bill, which required the Corps to look at the operation effectiveness of the options. The report indicated the pump to the river option was the most technically sound. In spite of this report, the Corps has proceeded to move forward with the option 1 plan.
Vitter is a member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has oversight and authority over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He also included important Corps reform language in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act.
