NEW ORLEANS - Between 1932 and 2015, Louisiana lost over 2,000 square miles of land according to a report issued by The Data Center, a nonprofit based in Southeast Louisiana specializing in data and analysis. The report, called “Pathways to Prosperity Louisiana,” states that this land loss is primarily due to reduced sediment deposits caused by Mississippi River levees, canal cutting for industrial purposes, subsidence, and sea-level rise.
The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project is designed to address this problem by channeling sediment and freshwater from the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin - an approximately 1.5-million-acre wetland area on the west bank of the River.
But on April 4, Governor Jeff Landry instructed the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) to pause the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project for 90 days.
“While Mid-Barataria has been presented as a cornerstone of Louisiana’s coastal master plan, the situation has changed significantly since its inception,” said Landry in his letter to the CPRA. “Projected costs have now ballooned beyond $3 billion — far exceeding the original budget and threatening to divert resources from other critical restoration projects.”
In 2016, the project was projected to cost approximately $1.5 billion. A significant portion of the costs were expected to be funded from the $2.92 billion allocated to it from the more than $8 billion BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. Governor Landry has indicated that rising costs may result in Louisiana footing the bill for additional expenses for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project.
“This pause will allow us to reevaluate the project in light of its rising costs, legal and logistical challenges, and community concerns,” said Landry. “During this time, we will explore modifications to the project or potential alternatives that may offer a better return on investment and minimize social and economic disruption.”
Social and Economic Disruption
The social and economic disruption Landry mentions relates to the impact the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project would have on local fisheries industries. During a Senate Transportation Committee meeting in Nov. 2024, Landry stated, "This project is going to break our culture," referring to concerns from commercial fishermen about the project's potential impact on their livelihoods.
Landry said that implementing the 90-day pause on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project will provide time for the assessment of alternatives, including considering a smaller diversion of sediment to mitigate the adverse effects on commercial shrimping and oyster industries.
“The opposition from local communities, particularly those whose livelihoods depend on fisheries, must be taken seriously,” said Landry.
Environmental Concerns
Environmental advocacy groups oppose the halt, arguing that sediment diversions are essential for sustainable land restoration and that alternatives like dredging offer only temporary solutions. "The state will lose up to 3,000 more square miles of land over the next 50 years without aggressive action to restore and protect the coast," said the Data Center report.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), one of the trustees overseeing use of the BP settlement money, has been severely impacted by the Trump administration’s decision to cut NOAA’s workforce by approximately 50%, potentially decreasing the number of employees from about 12,000 to 6,000. Reductions in NOAA staffing could potentially impact its capacity to process permits and enforce regulations relating to large-scale construction projects, including oversight of funding for land erosion projects.
At the same time, EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, has implemented a comprehensive deregulation effort including rolling back clean water protections and reducing EPA enforcement staff, both of which could adversely impact coastal restoration projects.
Legal Considerations
On the same day that Governor Landry’s 90-day pause came into effect (April 4), a Plaquemines Parish jury ordered that Chevron pay $745 million in damages to restore an area of Louisiana coastal wetlands located along the final stretch of the Mississippi River leading into the Gulf. The verdict, which will likely impact over 40 other lawsuits, is aimed at addressing degradation due to activities such as canal dredging, drilling, and wastewater disposal associated with oil and gas operations. The damages include $575 million for land loss, $161 million for contamination, and $8.6 million for abandoned equipment.
The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association said in a statement that Louisiana cannot prosper in its current litigious climate. "Today’s verdict sends a message to the rest of the world that Louisiana is not an attractive place for industry or new investments. It says that businesses here are at risk of being sued retroactively tomorrow for following the laws of today."
Chevron has announced plans to appeal the verdict, asserting that the company is not responsible for the land loss in Plaquemines Parish and that much of the alleged misconduct occurred before the relevant environmental laws were enacted.
In relation to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, the state could face lawsuits from contractors for loss of work and may need to return federal funds if the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project is canceled, adding complexity to the decision-making process.
