re: 80 mile levee in the GOM

That is not in the short term plan as of today. That is a whole nother thread. Lets try and stay focused here.

BTW, we already have one commercialized inhibited barrier island in Louisiana. Do we really need another one?

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The USACE spent $25 million on the 8 mile beach restoration project they just completed on Grand Isle from the Gustav damage. So estimating $250M for 80 miles is fairly accurate.
The biggest problem they face is that the USACE doesn't move very fast. BP will not fund this and the feds take forever to award projects. It would take a min of 4 months to design and prepare contract documents. Then 3 months to bid and award. Best case would be 6 months before work would start and 6 months to 1 year to construct, depending on the number of dreadging contractors used.

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Fail, BP is going to pay for it if it is approved by the BP executives. The Corps is going to provide their dredges and oversee. BP can hire whomever they want to do the job.

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No way BP pays for this. Frankly, the whole idea of constructing an 80 mile berm along the coast line prior to oil infultrating our bays and esturaries is ludicris. Also, companies like BP are not allowed to take on such a huge public works undertaking on their own, that's what the USACE does. Lots of issue with a project of this magnitude.

I hope your not gullible enough to believe that this is about protecting our wetlands from the oil slick? This is just Jindal doing his job and trying to get coastal restoration funding.

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This is not a federally funded project. It is a PR move and to save face by BP. Why else would BP have to run it up the ladder if the Corps were paying for it?? BP will pay for it and the Corps will oversee it. It's really not that big of a project. Al it is, is a dredging project. And why aren't companies like BP allowed to take on projects like this? You think $250m projects are big? Have you ever heard of Shaw, Weeks, Great Lakes Dredging, Manson Dredging? These companies have multiple multi 100 million dollar projects going on around the nation awarded by the Corps. You do realize that the Corps doesn't actually do the work, right? They contract those types of things out. Of course you already knew that.

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I hope your not gullible enough to believe that this is about protecting our wetlands from the oil slick? This is just Jindal doing his job and trying to get coastal restoration funding.

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I really dont give a shite, if BP wants to build new barrier islands off our coast and say its to protect our wetlands from the oil spill, then so be it. Who the frick an I to oppose it?

You Wrote:
Fail, BP is going to pay for it if it is approved by the BP executives. The Corps is going to provide their dredges and oversee. BP can hire whomever they want to do the job.

Then you question me if I understand federal contracting?

Your the one who indicated that the USACE provides THEIR OWN DREDGES and that BP could HIRE WHOMEVER THEY WANT TO DO THE JOB. Then you turn around and say that the USACE will oversee the project. So what is it? BP will oversee or the Corp.

Look.... I know what your getting at. BP will fund the project and the USACE will design and manage the contract. I've never been involved in that type of procurement, but I'm sure it's possible. I just don't see BP agreeing to do this just for the PR when it does nothing to mitigate the spill damage.

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You think $250m projects are big? Have you ever heard of Shaw, Weeks, Great Lakes Dredging, Manson Dredging? These companies have multiple multi 100 million dollar projects going on around the nation awarded by the Corps. You do realize that the Corps doesn't actually do the work, right? They contract those types of things out. Of course you already knew that.

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I do know a little about how things work with large USACE projects. I'm the PM for a $300 million USACE flood control project in St. Bernard Parish. Yes, $250 million worth of DREDGING and Beach Restoration Projects is BIG. Think about it. All the cost is in equipment and manpower. No large material purchases. It took Burtucci over a year to complete the Grand Isle project which was only 10% of this endeaver. This is a land mass that you can drive to!!! The logistics and cost of working in remote locations is huge!

A couple of other things. Shaw doesn't do jack shite. They sub everything. They definetly don't have a dredge operation. Weeks is for real. Manson Gulf is a very small company here in louisiana. Although, they are affliated with a much larger. The louisiana company is somewhat independent and is a small player in the Louisiana dredging sceen. I know this because I executed a contract with them 2 months ago to do about 75,000CY of dredging (dragline). Great lakes, Burtucci, etc...are other companies that have suction dredge operations that could perform this work.

So you see...I'm not just some dumbass who doesn't know what he's talking about. I just don't think what you are saying "WILL HAPPEN" will even be considered. These things just don't HAPPEN that easily in the real world.

Talked with my Dad who's with the USACE here in Alabama they just had a yearly meeting in Orange Beach.

He said their stance on the oil spill is its BP's problems and if they are asked to help out then they will address it at that point, but to now they haven't been brought in the loop.

$250 million and 6 months will turn into $250 billion and 60 years.

Bump, since this idea was mentioned 2 weeks ago and nothing has been done whatsoever.

Lets see if today is the day.

That's appromiately $592 per foot.

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Corps building this levee out in the GOM beginning in 10 days

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10 Days. BP will try something new on Wednsday

30 + days and still no sense of urgency (with the exception of the people of the great State of Louisiana) frick BP and the Corps of Engineers.