Once a $1.5 billion levee protection system is completed it will stabilize flood insurance premiums and protect Louisiana’s infrastructure, St. Charles Parish President Matt Jewell tells WWL’s, Newell Normand.
“But not only does it protect all those properties, all those residents, it protects billions of dollars in energy infrastructure, petrochemical infrastructure, all of the industry in the river parishes that not only have a local and state importance but really a national security importance when you look at the amount of energy production in this area,” Jewell said.
The Army Corps of Engineers signed on to do the Upper Barataria Risk Reduction System which will be built in St. Charles Parish but will tie into the hurricane protection levees in New Orleans and the Morganza system and ultimately protect six surrounding parishes Jewell explained.
The project will raise the parishes existing six feet tall levee system to storm surge protecting 14 feet.
“This project is going to protect 811 square miles, it will protect the west bank of St.
Charles, St. John, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, and it is going to protect the east side of Lafourche parish which locks in that Upper Barataria Basin.”
Jewell says with the Army Corps on board, it opens the project up to be congressionally funded.
