Garret Graves U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 6th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Garret Graves U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 6th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a significant increase in the funding required for the West Shore Hurricane Protection Project. The project now requires an additional $1.27 billion to reach its completion, which includes delivering the project to its authorized levee elevations and completing necessary pump stations and drainage structures.
Originally, U.S. Congressman Garret Graves secured $760 million in 2018, which was said to fully fund the project at that time. An additional $453 million was later secured in 2022 for resiliency features following Hurricane Ida. Despite these efforts, today's announcement has raised the total projected cost to $2.47 billion.
Congressman Graves expressed his frustration with this development, stating: "This is absolutely infuriating. We already secured the funds in 2018 and then within one month of Hurricane Ida making landfall in 2021, we were able to pass another law with billions of dollars in recovery funding and flood protection investments for Louisiana with a huge chunk dedicated to the West Shore Project."
Graves further emphasized his commitment to securing the necessary funding again and holding those responsible for the cost increases accountable: "We are working to secure the funding, again, to complete the project, hold those accountable for the ridiculous cost increases, and turn over projects like this to the State, levee boards, and our parishes rather than the Corps."
He reiterated his promise of flood protection for residents affected by this delay: "We promised the River Parishes they would finally get the flood protection they deserve. Residents in St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. James parishes are getting slammed today by flood insurance, record inflation, and pure government stupidity."
The West Shore Project aims to provide hurricane protection for St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and St. James parishes through an 18-mile levee system whose construction was initially authorized by federal law provision added by Graves in 2016.
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