To the members of the Atlasian Senate,
I would first like to thank Senator Ebowed for bringing this bill to the Senate Floor. Outside of the Metropolitan New Orleans Area, most people are probably not familiar with the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO - pronounced MR. GO), why it should be closed, and why it is of any concern to the federal government.
My apologies if I am mixing real-life vs. Atlasian Law here, but the MRGO is controlled by the Army Corp. of Engineers so it is a federal issue. If it is deemed fit in Atlasia that the regional government has the authority to close the MRGO, then someone please make this clear.
The MRGO is a ship channel that was contructed in the 1960s which was to serve as a shortcut from the Gulf of Mexico to the Port of New Orleans. But the economic gains have been minimal and do not come close to outweighing its costs. MRGO contributed to the destruction of parts of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, including my families home, during Hurricane Katrina. Without MRGO, damage still would have taken place, but it would not have as bad.
The MRGO was originally 650 feet wide when constructed but because of erosion and salt water brought in from the Gulf of Mexico it is now over 2000 feet wide. These marshes would have helped protect the area from any wind-driven storm surge. Instead, the marshes are disappearing and the MRGO served as a channel that only increased the storm surge.
When constructed many thought the MRGO would provide an economic boom to the area. But it did not. Less than five ships a day travel the MRGO and it has cost as much as $22 million to redredge it. That comes out to $12,000 per ship.
While there would be a large cost to close the MRGO, this is money that would not have to be spent in the future. After witnessing the damage of Hurricane Katrina, one should realize that the costs of keeping the MRGO open are more than just financial.
I thank you for your time.
Image of MRGOSources:
Commission to Close the MRGOBaltimore Sun - "The Awful Price of Coastal Ruin""Future of MRGO not much rosier than past"Washington Post - "Canal May have Worsened City's Flooding"LSU Study on MRGO (pdf)
