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Corps Can't Be Held Responsible

Posted by: Nate Berg
Thanks to: Ishmael Sanchez
31 January 2008 - 12:00pm

A federal court ruled recently that the Army Corps of Engineers could not be held liable for the levee fialures that caused the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

"U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval ruled Wednesday that the Corps should be held immune over failures in drainage canals that caused much of the flooding of New Orleans in August 2005. He cited the Flood Control Act of 1928, which protects the federal government from lawsuits when flood control projects like levees break."

"The lawsuit led to about 489,000 claims by businesses, government entities and residents, seeking trillions of dollars in damages against the Corps."

"The judge issued a stinging condemnation of the Corps, saying the agency 'cast a blind eye' in protecting New Orleans and 'squandered millions of dollars in building a levee system ... which was known to be inadequate by the Corps' own calculations.'"

"But, Duval said, 'it is not within the Court's power to address the wrongs committed. It is hopefully within the citizens of the United States' power to address the failures of our laws and agencies.'"

Full Story: Katrina levee lawsuit dismissed
Source: Associated Press, January 29, 2008
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