Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has selected Gulf Engineers & Consultants (GEC) to conduct the third party Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD).
According to CPRA, an updated permit application was submitted to the New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in June, 2016, and the EIS prepared by GEC will disclose and analyze the impacts of the project to the human and natural environment as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as incorporate significant public engagement.
The MBSD, a cornerstone project of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, will provide sediment and freshwater to the Barataria Basin, which is suffering from significant land loss, reported CPRA.
They also added that once implemented, this project will reconnect and reestablish the natural or deltaic sediment deposition process between the Mississippi River and Barataria Basin.
GEC will work in coordination with the USACE to prepare a public involvement plan and conduct public scoping meetings and hearings, conduct alternative screening analyses and evaluate impacts, and prepare documentation in compliance with other laws, regulations, and Executive Orders as required by the permitting process.
The contract execution is estimated for early February of 2017.