03 April 2006

LPB Louisiana the State We're In Reservoir Project transcript

this is a transcript of the T.V. show "Reservoir Project" from Louisiana Public Broadcasting's website.

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SWI 2910
04-Nov-05

Reservoir Project

>>:STATE BOND COMMISION HAS DRAWN FIRE FROM EDITORIAL

WRITERS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS THE RESULT OF A

DECISION IT MADE 2 WEEKS AGO. IN A UNANIMOUS VOTE

THE FINANCING PANEL AGREED TO REDIRECT 45 MILLION

DOLLARS IN CONSTRUCTION SPENDING FROM HURRICANE

RAVAGED AREAS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. CRITICS

SAY THE MOVE TOLLS THE REST OF THE NATION LOUISIANA

CAN'T GET ITS POST STORM PRIORITIES IN ORDER. OVER 3

MILLION OF THE FUNDS WILL PAY FOR LANDING AND

COMPLETION OF RESERVOIR PROJECTS, PROJECTS THAT HAD

ALREADY HAD PLENTY OF TURBULENCE OF THEIR OWN. IT'S

A PEACEFUL WEEKDAY MORNING ON POVERTY POINT

RESERVOIR, ALL IS QUIET IN PREPARATION FOR THE

WEEKEND CROWD THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE


BENEFITS OF THIS MAN-MADE LAKE. 4,000 ACRES OF UNDER

USED FLOODED FARM LAND THAT SUPPORTERS SAY WILL SPARK

AN ECONOMIC REVIVAL FOR THE IMPOVERISHED DELTA

REGION. WHY IS THE LEGISLATOR WHO SHEPHARDED THIS

PROJECT THROUGH 30 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT SO UPSET.

>>:HUM BUG.

>>:WHY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE IN THE FLORIDA

PARISHES IS THIS FAMILY FIGHTING A FIERCE BATTLE TO

PROTECT THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME.

>>:IT IS TERRIBLE. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO CRY NOW BUT

I AM NOT. I HAVEN'T BEEN CRYING. BUT IT IS ENOUGH

TO MAKE YOU CRY.

>>:WELCOME TO THE EMOTIONAL AND OFTEN COMPLEX WORLD

OF RESERVOIR BUILDING IN LOUISIANA. JUST ASK

ENGINEER TERRY DEN MAN WHAT HE THINKS OF IT ALL.

>>:I AM RATHER AMAZED AT THE AMOUNT OF MISINFORMATION

THAT'S OUT THERE, YOU KNOW. APPARENTLY WE WILL HAVE

TO GO IN THE P R BUSINESS JUST TO FURNISH FACTUAL

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS.

>>:IT ALL DID BEGIN WITH POVERTY POINT NOW PARTIALLY

A STATE PARK AND PARTLY A DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH END

HOMES, RESERVOIR HAS COST THE STATE 40 MILLION

DOLLARS IN PLANNING, PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION

COSTS OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS. DELHI REPRESENTATIVE

FRANCIS THOMPSON MANAGED TO SELL LAWMAKERS AND


SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS ON THE VALUE OF THE PROJECT

AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL. IT HAS SPARKED

OTHER LEGISLATORS TO REQUEST MAN-MADE LAKES OF THEIR

OWN IN 14 OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS LOUISIANA.

>>:LOUISIANA HAS MORE THAN 150 NATURAL LAKES. IT

SHARES WITH TEXAS AT TOLEDO BEND THE 4TH LARGEST

MAN-MADE LAKE IN THE NATION. THE STATE IS ALSO FED

BY AT LEAST 5 MAJOR SYSTEM AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF

MILES OF BAYOUS CREEKS AND STREAMS.

>>:THE STATE'S BEING WASHED AWAY AND WE ARE TALKING

ABOUT FLOODING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES IN

INTERIOR. IT DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE. WE HAVE 150

NATURAL LAKES, 30 MAN-MADE LAKES. AND WE GOT 15

LAKES ON THE BOOKS TO BE CREATED NOW. IT DON'T MAKE

ANY SENSE.

>>:RESIDENT JAMES MOORE HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CRITIC

OF THE MOVEMENT. SO FAR HE'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL

FIGHTING A LAKE THAT WOULD FLOOD THE LAND NEAR HIS

HOME AND TAKE SOME OF HIS FAMILY'S PROPERTY.

>>:THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A

LAKE THEY COULD GO FISHING AT THAT WOULD BE CLOSER

BUT WE CAN BE TO ANY LAKE IN 30 MINUTES FROM WHERE WE

ARE AT. WE CAN BE TO TOLEDO BEND IN AN HOUR.

>>:PROJECTS ARE SOLD AS SOURCES OF POTABLE WATER AND

WHILE POVERTY POINT IS GEARED TO PROVIDE THAT NO


DRINKING WATER HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM HERE.

>>:OUR NEED FOR ADDITIONAL DRINKING WATER IS NOT

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN A SHORT TIME LINE, YOU

KNOW. FROM ALL THE NEWS THAT YOU SEE, YOU KNOW,

GROUND WATER IS BECOMING SCARCE ALL OVER LOUISIANA

AND ESPECIALLY ALL OVER NORTH LOUISIANA BUT ALL OVER

LOTS OF PARTS OF SOUTH LOUISIANA TOO. IT WILL TAKE

SOME PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE PEOPLE RUN SHORT OF SUPPLY

OF WATER THEY HAVE NOW AND THERE HAS TO BE AN

ALTERNATE SUPPLY OF WATER AVAILABLE TO THEM AT THAT

TIME.

>>:IN WASHINGTON PARISH WHERE THERE WAS WIDESPREAD

DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA RESIDENTS IN THE OAK

GROVE COMMUNITY ARE FIGHTING A PLANNED RESERVOIR THAT

WILL SPAN OVER 3000 ACRES. THE AREA INVOLVED

INCLUDES MORE THAN A DOZEN HOMES AND 7 CEMETERIES.

THE PATENTS WHOSE FAMILY HAS OWNED LAND IN THE

RESERVOIR'S FOOTPRINT FOR NEARLY 200 YEARS ARE

FIGHTING MAD.

>>:THINK OF HOW MUCH, HOW MANY REPAIRS AND HOW MANY

HOMES COULD HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH THAT AND FIXED UP.

WE NEED THAT MONEY IN THIS PARISH TO REBUILD THIS

PARISH, NOT TO MAKE IT GLORIFIED MUDHOLE.

>>:IT IS UNFAIR TO THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE PUT LOVED

ONES HERE TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TURMOIL AND GRIEF


OF SEEING THEIR FAMILIES DUG UP SO THAT PEOPLE CAN

WATER SKI, FISH AND JUST GO BOATING FOR PLEASURE OVER

WHERE THEY PLACED THEIR LOVED ONES FOR BURIAL.

>>:BOGALUSA SENATOR BEN NEVERS A SUPPORTER OF THE

PROJECT SAYS KATRINA DID TEACH A LESSON AND IT WAS

ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT RESERVOIRS ARE.

>>:IF WE USE LEVEE SYSTEM IN NEW ORLEANS AS AN

EXAMPLE, IF WE WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO

25 OR 30 YEARS AGO TO PROTECT THAT CITY LIKE WE

SHOULD HAVE, THE DISASTER WE FACE TODAY WOULD HAVE

BEEN VERY SMALL IN COMPARISON. I WILL SAY TO YOU

THAT IF IN FACT WE DO NOT PROTECT THE IN LOUISIANA

FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY WE WILL FIND OUR SELF IN A

WORSE SITUATION BECAUSE WITHOUT WATER NOTHING LIVES.

>>:NEVERS SAYS HE WILL WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON THE

PATH THE RESERVOIR WILL TAKE.

>>:WOULD I THINK EVERY PART OF THE STATE NEEDS LAKES

AND RESERVOIRS? NOT NECESSARILY. BUT THAT OUGHT TO

BE A DECISION OF THE PEOPLE OF THOSE AREAS. AND THEY

HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHAT THEY THINK IS BEST FOR THEIR

AREA,. FOR OUR AREA, THAT WAS THE BEST THING I COULD

DO.

>>:REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF

ADVICE FOR OTHER LEGISLATORS WANTING LAKE PROJECTS.

HE HAS ALSO INTRODUCED SOME OF THE BILLS THAT WOULD


ALLOW SOME OF THOSE PLANS TO MOVE AHEAD. HE IS UNDER

FIRE FOR ANOTHER REASON, HIS BROTHER MIKE IS A

CONSULTANT TO SEVERAL OF THE PENDING PROPOSALS AND

TERRY BEN MAN CAN ALSO BE FOUND AS THE ENGINEER FOR

THESE PROJECTS.

>>:I THINK WE HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH

MR. THOMPSON'S A LEGISLATOR, BROTHER'S OUT PROMOTING

LAKES AND HE IS WRITING TO LEGISLATION TO CREATE

THEM. THEN HIS FRIEND TERRY DEN MAN IS BUILDING

THEM. I THINK WE DEFINITELY HAVE THE OLD STYLE

LOUISIANA POLITICS THERE THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH

CRONYISM GOING ON.

>>:I THINK THAT'S A TERRIBLE MISCONCEPTION FOR HIM.

>>:MIKE THOMPSON SAYS EXPERTISE IN RESERVOIR

CONSTRUCTION QUALIFIES HIM FOR THE JOB WITHOUT HIS

BROTHER'S HELP.

>>:OBVIOUSLY FRANCIS HAS HIS JOB AS A RESERVOIR AND

HE EFFECTS RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE. HE HAS NEVER

BEEN IN MY BUSINESS. WE DON'T DISCUSS IT MUCH EITHER

BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR OWN LIVES.

>>:NEVER, NEVER HAVE I BEEN OUT PROMOTING HIM. HE IS

QUALIFIED TO PROMOTE HIS OWN ENDEAVORS AND HIS OWN

INTERESTS. BUT THAT IS PROBABLY BEEN SOME OF THE

PROBLEM THERE. THE PERCEPTION THAT EXTENDS BEYOND

HIS EFFORTS. BUT I CHALLENGE ANYBODY TO PROVE


ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I HAVE SAID THAT ABSOLUTELY

NOT AM I INVOLVED IN ANY OTHER ACTIVITY PROMOTING IT

OR OTHERWISE. SO IT IS NOT A PORT BARREL PROJECT.

ONLY BY THOSE THAT HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT CLOSELY,

LOOKED AT THE INVESTMENT, LOOKED AT THE WORTH OF THE

PROJECT NOW.

>>:THEY MUST HAVE A HORRIBLE FEELING IN THEIR HEART

TO DO THIS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T OF DONE ANYTHING TO

THEM.

>>:THE SIERRA CLUB HAS JOINED OPPOSITION. SPOKES

WOMAN LESLIE MARKS POINTS OUT THERE HAS BEEN NO STUDY

TO SEE WHERE AND WHY RESERVOIRS ARE BEING BUILT.

>>:ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING THE STATE

DO A STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT POTABLE WATER WE DO

NEED. WE WOULD NOT BE AGAINST RESERVOIRS IF WE

REALLY NEED THEM FOR DRINKING WATER AND IF WE WERE

ABLE TO FILL THEM WITH AN UNDERSTANDING TO THE

ENVIRONMENT, NOT FLOODING PEOPLE'S HOMES OR

CEMETERIES AS WE ARE STANDING IN A CEMETERY HERE. WE

COULD SUPPORT THAT IF THERE WAS DATA THERE THAT

SUPPORTED THE FACT THAT LOUISIANA NEEDS DRINKING

WATER.

>>:AS FAR AS THE STATE, AS FAR AS I CAN FIGURE OUT ON

WHAT THE LAW SAYS NOW, THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT.

THEY GET NO REVENUES OUT OF IT. I CAN'T SEE WHY THEY


NEED IT. YET THEY'RE FINANCING. THE STATE DOES.

>>:IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND BE MORE

PRODUCTIVE THAN THEY HAVE BEEN TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE

NEEDS SO WE CAN THE LEVEES BACK SO WE CAN REBUILD AND

REVITALIZE THE WHOLE COAST BUT NEW ORLEANS MORE

SPECIFICALLY. WE WILL HAVE TO REALLY DO HARD WORK

AND PLAN WELL. HOW DO WE DO THIS? DO WE TAKE A

POVERTY POINT RESERVOIR WHICH IS A PRISTINE PART IN A

PRISTINE AREA THAT HAS GREAT POTENTIAL AND NOT FINISH

THE PROJECT? HOW FOOLISH WOULD THAT BE?

>>:IF YOU ARE THIRSTY FOR CONTROVERSY THERE IS PLENTY

TO DRINK HERE. BOTH SIDES ARE DIGGING IN AND THAT'S

NOT FOR THE GROUND BREAKING OF THE NEXT RESERVOIR IN

LOUISIANA.

>>:TO THINK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE 50 MILLION

GALLONS OF POTABLE WATER A DAY TO THE CITIZENS IN

THAT AREA AND FOR THEM TO BENEFIT FROM THAT ABILITY

IS MIND BOGGLING.

>>:WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL THE POLITICIANS?

>>:WELL ALL I CAN SAY IS THEY HAVE A RECKONING DAY

COMING.

>>:THE RESERVOIR PLANNING HAS ALSO CREATED CONCERN

WITHIN THE STATE'S TIMBER INDUSTRY. MOST OF THE

LAKES ARE BEING BUILT ON AGRICULTURAL OR FORESTED

LAND AND LIKE SIERRA CLUB LOUISIANA FORESTRY


ASSOCIATION SAYS THERE SHOULD BE A COMPREHENSIVE

STUDY TO SEE IF THE MAN-MADE LAKES ARE NEEDED.

>>:CONSULTANT MIKE THOMPSON SAYS HE DOES NOT THINK

ALL THE RESERVOIRS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED WILL BE

BUILT.

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