Rebuilding
New Orleans neither easy nor smart, says USU researcher
By Mary-Ann Muffoletto
USU media relations
September 15, 2005 | New Orleans should
not be rebuilt on its existing site, says Professor
Richard Toth of Utah State University's department of
environment and society.
“Putting people back into harm's way is irresponsible,"
he said.
Toth, who uses computer modeling to determine optimal
use of land resources for residential and commercial
development, agricultural and industrial use and conservation,
recommends finding an alternative site in southern Louisiana
to rebuild the historic port.
Not rebuilding the city at all is probably unrealistic
and would be economically devastating to the area, said
Toth.
Prior to Katrina, New Orleans was the nation's fifth-largest
port in terms of total cargo tonnage. The competing
port cities of Houston, Miami, Jacksonville and Pensacola
will absorb some of the slack, but none is on the strategic
Mississippi River.
"The port could be rebuilt farther upriver and
a new community built on higher-level ground,"
said Toth.
Toth said preliminary estimates of rebuilding the City
of New Orleans on its current location approach $300
billion.
"Not only are you faced with building up the land
and building higher, stronger levees," he said.
"You're faced with a serious toxic waste challenge
that will require costly clean up."
Imagine, said Toth, the job of literally scraping out
3 to 5 feet of flood-contaminated soil and replacing
it with a new layer of clean soil.
"First of all, what would you do with the contaminated
soil? Load it on barges and dump it in the Gulf of Mexico?
And where would the clean fill come from?"
Toth concedes that New Orleans was a vibrant, historical
city with unique architecture and culture but "putting
it back into a bowl makes no sense. Past mistakes shouldn’t
be repeated.
"You could build replicas of the city’s
French Quarter and other historic areas. Will it be
the same as the original? Of course, not. But people
should not live at or below sea level."
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