The Corps of Engineers says yes to a huge project to divert Mississippi River sediment to the Barataria Estuary. The money is coming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds. Marsanne Golsby has more.
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The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating three separate house fires that claimed three lives in just over a day. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Fund will stop accepting applications tomorrow. Desiree Honore Thomas is Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Administration.
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The rental assistance program began in March 2021 and Thomas says it has paid rent for about 26,000 tenants. The homeowner assistance program begin in January 2022 and has helped about 6200 homeowners to date. Thomas says both programs have helped people stay afloat through financial challenges brought about by the pandemic.
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Thomas says the state will continue reviewing applications submitted by the deadline until all funds are expended. To learn more or to apply, go to lacovidhousing.com.
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The Corps of Engineers has given the green light to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project to use Mississippi River sediment to rebuild parts of Louisiana’s coast. Bren Haase is the executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. He says it’s a monumental development.
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Haas says the money for the project is coming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement fund. Governor John Bel Edwards says the project represents a major step forward towards restoring caused by the oil spill. Haase says the project will provide important storm surge protection for inland communities, including New Orleans.
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Haase says construction on the project could get underway next Spring. He says once its operational, it will be able to build and sustain up to 26,000 acres of wetlands.
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In a 26-hour period, three separate house fires claimed three lives in Louisiana. State Fire Marshal’s Office spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says it’s tragic especially because they could have been prevented. The fires happened in New Orleans, Leesville, and Ruston.
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Sunday night a 73-year-old woman was unable to escape her home in the Gentilly neighborhood, they believe she was using canned sources of heat because the home had been without utilities for years. Monday afternoon an 83-year-old woman died in her Leesville home and the smoke detector was not working. And Monday evening in Ruston a disabled man in his 40s died. All fatalities are under investigation. Rodrigue says it’s vital to have a working smoke detector, especially with the hard freeze in the forecast.
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And it’s not just those who are using extra sources of heat right that need to check for fire hazards. Rodrigue says you need to be mindful of the role holiday decorations can play also.
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Governor John Bel Edwards is asking the EPA to have Capitol Lakes in Baton Rouge declared as a Superfund site. Edwards says the letter he sent last week is the final step to make the long-polluted lakes eligible for federal assistance.
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However, Edwards says the state match of 10 percent could be waved. Capitol Lakes have been plagued by pollution since the early 1980s. Edwards says contamination from PCB was detected in the lakes on the north side of the Capitol Complex in 1983.
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He says the contaminates weren’t encapsulated, and they are still present in the lakes. Edwards says unfortunately the state doesn’t have the resources for remediation and he’s asking the EPA for assistance.
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Edwards says it could take three to five years before remediation work begins. Signage warning people not to consume fish from the lake has been there since the 1980s.