EcoWatch: Managing the Mississippi River Delta is a daunting challenge, but the greatest barrier to restoration and flood protection is politics. Last year, a board of flood experts, acting to protect New Orleans, ignited a battle that has starkly pitted the public welfare against the sycophantic fealty of Louisiana`s toadying politicians to a rapacious oil and gas industry.
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East (SLFPA-E) oversees the greater New Orleans levee system. The deterioration...