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This is Louisiana’s Problem to Fix

May 26, 2010

The destruction of the most fertile ecosystem on the continent is currently underway. The oil that has now covered Louisiana’s marshes and wetlands will kill the vegetation that literally keeps the remaining wetland intact. Once gone, all of the life that these plants support will disappear. Free of root systems to keep the sediment intact, the marsh will quickly wash away. The remaining marsh is miniscule in comparison to its former size but still the largest wetland on the continent. The spill has ruined the livelihoods of recreational and commercial fishermen and the businesses that support them.

This is a mess in every sense of the word. Those of us who live and work near the wetland know what this means and we also know what needs to be done to fix this problem. Attempting to “make others understand the problem” may be well intentioned, but will probably be fruitless.

The focus of the national media and to some extent our local officials have been on “cleaning up the spilled oil”. For the most part, this is impossible in all areas except on the coastal beaches. We must at present begin to focus on the long term future of our wetland. Three things must be accomplished quickly or the marsh and wetland that produces 40% of the seafood in North America will disappear. 1) The barrier islands from East Cote Balanche Bay to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River must be restored and fortified with rock jetties. In the process all bayou passes and inlets should be narrowed sufficiently to allow natural “ponding” of water that allows deposition of silt. 2) Marsh must be restored with silt pumped and pipelined from the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers. This silt is the fertile topsoil of our continent that is currently dredged by the Corps of Engineers from the rivers and allowed to wash out to sea. This silt could cover the oil and allow new vegetation to grow. This dredging of silt without recapturing it for use in the marsh should be made illegal by congress. This would force the Corps to cease this wasteful practice. 3) Diversion projects that flow water from the rivers to and over the marsh should be put in place to sustain and continue to build the marshland. This is the natural process that renewed the marshland every spring before levees were built.

If we fail to follow through on all three methods of restoring our coast and wetland, Southeast Louisiana is doomed. Our state officials and congressional delegation are responsible for making this happen. Now is the time for the Citizens of Louisiana to hold them accountable.

Our state officials must do whatever it takes to accomplish these goals. Including but not limited to shutting down the LOOP that offloads much of the oil for the continent. Just as the corps of engineers has not issued “permits” for coastal restoration, the Sate may need to “study” the impact of a potential spill by a supertanker at the loop offloading site before any more oil is imported.

The United States needs offshore drilling. Port Fourchon has become the economic engine that drives the southeastern United States. Louisiana’s fishery produces the most abundant, highest quality seafood in the world. Our wetland provides the best outdoor recreation in North America. All of these things can coexist as they have for the last Century. Shortsighted fixes and paying billions to pick up tar balls on the beach and deploy booms will only shortly delay the inevitable death of our wetland. Remember, our wetland was dying before the spill and it will be gone in one generation with or without the oil spill. No one company, practice, or industry caused erosion and all of our citizens have benefitted directly or indirectly from the oil industry. Playing the blame game is counterproductive. Reliance on the competence of federal officials is at best magical thinking and has proved deadly for Louisiana’s citizens in the recent past. We must focus on the long term solution of restoring our wetland or Louisiana’s children will be left with no industry, no fishery, and no recreation. The very existence of Southeast Louisiana is at stake. Louisiana needs to fix this problem. No one will fix it for us.

Dr Guy