August 18th, 2010 9:41 AM

Editorial: Let's pause to rethink the Katrina Cut project

Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 6:15 AM

CAN WE talk? And can we do it now, before the state spends any more money on the Katrina Cut?
  Because here are several awkward truths about that project: 
-- Although it was touted as an emergency measure to keep oil out of Alabama marshes and oyster reefs, the project is also a dandy way to reunite the two halves of Dauphin Island — something neither the state nor the city could afford to do before BP started handing out grant money.
  -- No oil has been flowing from the blown-out well since July 15, when BP secured it with a temporary cap. So, while there is still some oil remaining in the Gulf, the Coast Guard says there are no more large mats of crude threatening the coast. 
  -- The emergency permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires the state of Alabama to remove the material from the Katrina Cut by June 9, 2011. That’s only nine months from now — and the project isn’t even half completed. 
 -- Two dozen scientists from around the country, including the head of Alabama’s own Dauphin Island Sea Lab, signed a letter to national incident commander Thad Allen expressing concern that “the structure [consisting of rocks] is poorly designed and will not last.” The letter added that the project “is clearly being carried out for storm protection, not oil spill remediation.”
  The scientists’ concerns are perhaps the most compelling reason to pause and rethink the $13 million project. If the project is worth doing, then it is worth doing correctly.
  As a barrier island, Dauphin Island helps protect Alabama’s coast from storms and its oyster reefs from saltwater intrusion. The Katrina Cut diminished its ability to perform either function.
  As things stand, we’re talking about a strategically placed rockpile that might not be needed for protection against oil, might not permanently restore Dauphin Island and might have to be removed in less than a year.
  It’s time for the state and the city to hit the pause button and, with input from the Corps of Engineers and the scientific community, figure out how to fill the Katrina Cut in a way that makes environmental and economic sense.
  

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