Federal Judge Finds Army Corps Liable for Katrina Damage
Over four years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a federal judge has ruled in favor of four plaintiffs from the vicinity of the city's Ninth Ward, finding that the Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for some of the damage incurred by the storm and awarding each plaintiff over $700,000.
Over four years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a federal judge has ruled in favor of four plaintiffs from the vicinity of the city’s Ninth Ward, finding that the Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for some of the damage incurred by the storm and awarding each plaintiff over $700,000. –KA
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...The Christian Science Monitor:
The landmark ruling awards $719,000 to four plaintiffs from the city’s Lower Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish who filed suit in 2006. The only such liability suit to actually reach a courtroom, the so-called “Mr. Go” ruling (after a shipping channel in the area) opens the floodgates for a raft of new litigation from as many as 100,000 other residents.
More important, the ruling – which called the Army Corps “myopic” in its maintenance of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet canal (aka Mr. Go) – now puts pressure on President Obama to help the region settle claims that could reach into the billions of dollars. (Without a court judgment, the Bush administration had refused calls for a settlement.)
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Environment
Tribes say they are being ignored as Trump fast tracks a project to tunnel an oil and gas pipeline under the continent's largest source of fresh water.
Environment
A new study shows how federal grant funding has become an obstacle to climate adaptation.
Books
A new book tells the modern history of the "Big Muddy" as a tragedy wrought by colonial hubris.
Environment
The federal government is refusing to restore eroded beaches in Pinellas County unless homeowners agree to make beach access public.
This marks the first time waivers have applied to federal procurement rules. Previously ones waived environmental impact reviews.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.