US Justice Dept "trying to blame environmentalists for flood"
NEW YORK "The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., has obtained a copy of an internal e-mail the U.S. Department of Justice sent out this week to various U.S. attorneys' offices. Reporter Jerry Mitchell’s conclusion: 'Federal officials appear to be seeking proof to blame the flood of New Orleans on environmental groups, documents show.'
"He quotes from the e-mail: 'Has your district defended any cases on behalf of the (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers against claims brought by environmental groups seeking to block or otherwise impede the Corps work on the levees protecting New Orleans? If so, please describe the case and the outcome of the litigation.'
"Cynthia Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, told the reporter Thursday she couldn't comment 'because it's an internal e-mail.'"
Editor and Publisher
Tagged: hurricane, katrina, hurricanekatrina, usa, justice
"He quotes from the e-mail: 'Has your district defended any cases on behalf of the (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers against claims brought by environmental groups seeking to block or otherwise impede the Corps work on the levees protecting New Orleans? If so, please describe the case and the outcome of the litigation.'
"Cynthia Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, told the reporter Thursday she couldn't comment 'because it's an internal e-mail.'"
Editor and Publisher
Tagged: hurricane, katrina, hurricanekatrina, usa, justice
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For Immediate Release
Friday, September 16, 2005
Contact:
Melissa Samet, (415) 482-8150
Eric Eckl, (202) 486-7877
American Rivers condemns post-Katrina smear campaign
American Rivers President Rebecca R. Wodder released the following statement today in response to a story in the Clarion Ledger reporting on apparent efforts to shift blame for poor preparation for Hurricane Katrina onto the environmental community.
"I am dismayed at efforts by the government and special interests to blame the environmental community for the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. The case that the Competitive Enterprise Institute has made against American Rivers is a maliciously distorted interpretation of our efforts to preserve a healthy balance between man and nature along the Mississippi River. The American people owe it to themselves to get the facts and see this effort for the smear campaign that it is."
"American Rivers has never pursued any action that would put New Orleans at heightened risk of floods. In fact, our efforts to reconnect wetlands and forests to the Mississippi River lead towards a healthy river that floods less frequently and savagely than it has in recent decades.
"The importance of wetlands for flood damage reduction is well demonstrated. A single wetland acre, saturated to a depth of one foot, retains 330,000 gallons of water enough to flood thirteen average-sized homes thigh deep. Wetlands that are drained, filled, or isolated behind levees provide little or no flood protection for the surrounding community. Abundant and healthy wetlands should be the first line of defense against storms and floods.
"It is also well documented that some levees are counterproductive for purposes of protecting population centers from floods. The overengineering of the lower Mississippi River have contributed to the disintegration of the coastal Louisiana wetlands that once provided a robust buffer against hurricanes. If Mississippi River delta had been intact, New Orleans' levees might have held. If we restore this natural habitat, the levees around the city are more likely to hold during the next hurricane.
"We, and most Americans, believe that our nation's common wealth and public resources should be used for the common good which means protecting and restoring healthy rivers so they flood less frequently and harmfully than degraded, abused rivers like the Mississippi.
"American Rivers will continue to challenge misguided river management policies that channel high water away from forests and wetlands towards towns and cities. We will continue to advocate for the protection and restoration of wetland habitats that help soften the blow of floods while providing valuable wildlife habitat."
Clarion Ledger: E-mail suggests government seeking to blame groups
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050916/NEWS0110/509160369/1260
Spin and Facts on levees and flooding
http://www.americanrivers.org/site/DocServer/Katrina_spin_and_facts1__2_.pdf?docID=2441
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