(The Center Square) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has raised significant concerns about the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project in a letter to federal agencies.
Landry criticized in a letter addressed to several agencies — The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — the project’s implementation under former Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards and called for additional reviews to address funding, permitting, and environmental concerns.
“Local permitting ordinances were not followed, National Flood Insurance Program permits were not secured, and key analyses were incomplete,” Landry wrote, emphasizing that the project’s current status risks legal, financial, and ecological complications.
The diversion aims to restore land in the Barataria Basin by redirecting freshwater and sediment from the Mississippi River. However, Landry noted that litigation, including cases challenging compliance with federal laws like the Endangered Species Act, could delay or disrupt the project.
Landry also highlighted the potential conflict between the diversion and efforts to mitigate saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River, which threatens drinking water supplies.
“The diversion and the saltwater wedge are competing against each other,” he explained, questioning whether the project is operable under current hydrological conditions.
While committing to dialogue with federal trustees, Landry stressed the need for “further engineering, modeling, and analysis” to ensure the project is sustainable and cost-effective. He warned that the projected costs have doubled since 2016, with escalation rates between 15% and 27% per year.
The first-term Republican governor concluded by calling for collaboration.
“We simply ask for your utmost cooperation in arriving at a consensus that best represents the citizens of Louisiana and all concerned.”