A boat floating on a body of water with trees in the background

Louisiana coastal restoration project faces new turmoil over hidden environmental report

An escalating political and legal battle threatens Louisiana’s $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, as allegations emerge that state officials concealed a critical environmental study.

Jack Brook and Jim Mustian report for The Associated Press.

In short:

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry accused former Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration of withholding a study showing the project would produce significantly less land than earlier estimates, prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend its permit.
The 2022 confidential memo revealed that state attorneys considered potential federal charges and warned the Corps could revoke the permit if it discovered the withheld report, which ultimately occurred last month.
Conservationists argue the controversy is politically motivated, while fishing industry leaders welcome the halt, fearing the project’s impact on shrimp and oyster harvesting.

Key quote:

“They hid the bad stuff and only showed the (Corps) the version they liked. Science is easy when you just delete the inconvenient parts!”

— Gov. Jeff Landry, on the social media platform X

Why this matters:

Louisiana’s wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate, losing land equivalent to a football field nearly every hour. Projects like the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion aim to reverse this by redirecting sediment-laden river water to rebuild marshes, a critical defense against hurricanes and rising seas. Yet such efforts come with complex trade-offs: While designed to combat climate-driven coastal erosion, they can disrupt local ecosystems and industries, especially fishing and oyster harvesting that sustain communities and cultural traditions. The current controversy underscores not only the environmental and engineering challenges of such large-scale interventions but also the political and legal complexities that can derail them.

apnews.com

Louisiana coastal restoration project faces new turmoil over hidden environmental report

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