Re: "Environmentalists plan to sue over leaky levee," Page A-5, June 7.
It was refreshing to see that Save Our Wetlands, a group that many well-intentioned people support, was described as the group that sued to stop the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier Plan in 1976.
This overzealous protection of our wetlands cost us dearly when Lake Pontchartrain rose more than 11 or 12 feet above sea level, breaching several New Orleans canals and flooding thousands of homes.
To say that the Government Accountability Office stated that "none of the changes the group forced appeared to have any role in the levee breaches" is laughable, given that the Corps of Engineers is now limiting the water level in the Orleans, London and 17th Street canals to well under 11 feet above sea level.
On behalf of the roughly 1 million people left in the Lake Pontchartrain basin, our group would like to give SOWL a stern warning: Don't mess with our flood protection. We consider human life more precious than the environment.
What good will it do to have pristine wetlands if no one is left to enjoy them?
While we support environmentally friendly concessions in engineering of flood protection, we will fight to keep our lives and homes protected.
The Lake Pontchartrain Barrier Plan is our group's No. 1 priority, and we will not allow a repeat of history from those who failed to learn from it.
Deborah Mabile Settoon
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SOWL's Response:
June 16, 2007
Letter to Editor
Re: "Overzealous wetlands protection cost us dearly"
Deborah Settoon's letter to editor June 16, 2007 falsely accuse Save Our Wetlands by enjoining Corps Chef Menteur barriers in 1976 as playing a roll in the flooding of New Orleans. This is not true.
The reason why the USACE is leaving the 17th St canal 11 feet below sea level is because of the canal walls faulty design.
The September 28, 2005 GAO report saids that if the Barriers had been constructed, the flooding in New Orleans would have been worse.
Katrina would have topped the Barriers, and flood waters would have been trapped both inside St. Tammany and Orleans Parish. In fact the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury was a co plaintiff with SOWL for exactly this reason.
Ms. Settoon then issues a "stern warning" to SOWL personally: "Don't mess with our flood protection. We consider human life more precious than the environment."
Ms. Settoon refuses to accept reality that SOWL, by enjoining Chef Menteur Rigolets Barriers, stopped the 28,000 Orlandia Subdivision from being constructed in New Orleans east.
If it was not for SOWL, not only would Lake Pontchartrain be a stagnant body of water, but 260,000 more people would have settled in New Orleans east only to be flooded and drowned post Katrina by the Corps's MR-GO, and Corps's engineering failures at the London St. Canal. Thanks to Sowl, New Orleans is now protected by 28,000 acres of Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge wetlands.
The flooding in New Orleans was caused by the engineering failures of the Corps of Engineers, and we need to "Hold the Corps Accountable." Placing blame on Save Our Wetlands is just plain stupid.
SOWL is not only about protecting wetlands, but stopping Corps, Levee Districts and land developers from building levees that not only destroy wetlands, acting as buffers to Hurricane tidal surges, but promote developments in low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges. SOWL is also actively protesting failure of oil companies to fill in their 10,000 miles of canals and navigational channels dug thru La. wetlands.
SOWL's opposition to Corps-State's plan to build a Wall of "Leaky Levees" around Louisiana is based on Mar.13, 2007 letter signed by 16 coastal scientists-engineers that this "Leaky Levee" system is faulty, and will not only destroy wetlands that act as buffers to hurricane tidal surges, but will promote development in low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges. This letter is backed up by Dec. 13-14, 2006 Science Bd. of La. Coastal Area(LCA) Restoration Program Report.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State of La. and politicians, and obviously Ms. Settoon of Jefferson Parish say otherwise. So whom do you believe? The Corps of Engineers etc?, or coastal scientists and SOWL?
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On June 16, 2007 Deborah Settoon wrote a letter to New Orleans Times Picayune full of half truths and misinformation, blaming SOWL for flooding New Orleans by enjoining the Corps' Chef Menteur Barriers in 1976. She also made a personal threat against SOWL.
SOWL's research into Deborah Settoon and her husband Charles E. Settoon reveals intimate ties and connections to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dredging, oil and gas industry, Jefferson Parish Levee District, and the Republican Party. Her letter is a conflict of interest, and issues threats of violence to SOWL's members.
She is a member of the new Jefferson Parish levee board.
Her husband Charles E. Settoon is the secretary of the Society of American Military Engineers, and Col. Richard P. Wagenaar is listed as the President. Col. Wagenaar is the N.O. District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Col. Wagenaar is pushing for the construction of a "Leaky Levee" Wall around Louisiana in spite of an outcry by nationally recognized scientists-engineers and SOWL.
The address of Charles Settoon's consulting firm is 5321 Toby Lane, Kenner, La. This is same address as Col. Richard Wagenaar's Society of American Engineers. It's difficult to not conclude that violent, personal threats to the safety and well being of SOWL's members are coming from the house of Col. Wagenaar's corps-dredging-oil & gas connected industries, pushing a faulty Trillion $dollar$ Pork Barrel "Leaky Levee" Wall around Louisiana. It definitely looks like Mrs. Settoon's group is only a mouthpiece for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Charles E. Settoon who graduated from UNO with a degree in Civil Engineering MBA from Tulane in 1999, worked for Texaco from 1983-2000 Worked for Helis Oil and Gas 2000-2003. 2/4/03 he started the Settoon Project Consulting to manage offshore projects for Helis Oil and Gas. Dec. 2005 he started Citizens for a Safer Jefferson Parish, is president. Unincorporated with Sec of State.
President of Citizens for a Safer Jefferson Parish, "A group of mostly republican activists including state GOP chairman Roger Villere of Metairie." Times Picayune 2/21/06
May 2006 appointed to the East Jefferson Levee District Commission by Gov. Blanco
Charles E. Settoon
Her husband Charles E. Settoon is also President of the Gulf Coast Chapter of North America of Western Dredging Association made up of Corps officials. So who is going to get the Trillion$ contracts to build the "Leaky Levee" Wall around Louisiana.
A conflict of interest if SOWL ever saw one.
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