B37AcV Blight, Flooding, New Orleans, Water Issues

From Blight to Bioswales

December 12th, 2018

Action on Bartholmew Street in the Upper 9th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans to address blight.

We are demanding a long-term solution to prevent blight in our city on overgrown lots and to prevent flooding through the use of raingardens or bioswales.

ACV is working with LSU to create bioswales to prevent flooding and reduce blight. These bioswales provide a way for the lots to be maintained and kept safe, as we wait for more families to return and build in the community. At the same time, they provide the benefit of reducing street flooding that comes with climate change and failing pumps.

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B37AcV WAMF, Water Issues

What Can We Do about Flooding?

A Community Voice Interviews Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Mark Schleifstein about what the future holds for us living here in Floodlandia and what the residents of New Orleans can do to deal with our next flood disaster.

ACV Interview with Mark Schleifstein

All podcasts of previous shows available here.

The ACV show airs every Tuesday at 630pm on WAMF LP New Orleans The Voice of the People on 90.3FM and streaming at WAMF.org.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

B37AcV Water Issues

Fighting for Better Flood Protection

May 17th, 2018

Residents in the upper 9th ward come together to plan actions on what we need in our communities. One of the main issues we are dealing with is inadequate flood protection.

At the meeting, ACV  gathered a list of locations of standing water and inadequate drainage for a protest in 2 weeks.

We had a conference call with the Army Corps of Engineers about the midnight explosions along the Industrial Canal that residents fear is disturbing our flood walls, making New Orleans even more vulnerable to flooding.

Our Congressman, Cedric Richmond, has sent out letters on our behalf demanding answers. Copies of Letters

Please report areas of standing water, flooding and the dates and times you hear explosions along the industrial canal to info@acommunityvoice.orgFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

B37AcV Lake Charles, Water Issues

Message from ACV President Lanny Roy on Fighting for Adequate Flood Protections

Recently, A Community Voice members in Louisiana worked hard with the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and won exclusion of a dangerous provision to restructure Mitigation funds that had been inserted in the House version of the federal Disaster Supplemental bill that would have diverted funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grants Program/ (FEMA), which buys out flooded homes and elevates home in flooded areas.  This was a great victory for the people. While we thank those Senators who removed the poisonous provisions from the bill, our communities do still need adequate flood protection.

A Community Voice members and others are now calling their US Senators to promote no building in flood plains, a requirement for all cities to enroll in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), funding for states to implement flood-control infrastructure measures such as levees, elevation projects, drainage, pumping systems and full funding to restore Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands, now languishing without adequate rebuilding funds.

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B37AcV New Orleans, Water Issues

Flood Protections Not Explosions

Feb 24th, 2017

Members of A Community Voice in the 9th Ward neighborhoods of New Orleans are asking their city and state officials to investigation the mysterious explosions along the Industrial Canal that have been occurring late at night. The community is concerned that these booms have been damaging the flood walls and increase their vulnerability to flooding.

A spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers’ claims that they can not “confirm or deny” that the Corps is involved in the explosions. This response does not sit well with residents who have been flooded out by the Corps numerous times. Instead of explosions, A Community Voice is asking for adequate flood protections for all and an end to the proposed Industrial Canal Expansion Project.

Here is video link of the protest. Playlist of 4 videos.

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B37AcV New Orleans, Water Issues

We Need Protection from Flood

Call your elected officials to ask them to “please investigate & stop the explosions on the Industrial Canal. We need protection from flood. No Canal Expansion & no Florida Avenue Freeway.

Councilmembers

Stacy Head 504-658-1060

shead@nola.gov

Jason Williams 504-658-1070

jasonwilliams@nola.gov

Susan Guidry 504-658-1010

sgguidry@nola.gov

LaToya Cantrell 504-658-1020

Lcantrell@nola.gov

Nadine Ramsey 504-658-1030

district@nola.gov

Jared Brossett 504-658-1040

councildistrictd@nola.gov

James Gray 504-658-1050

jagray@nola.gov

State Rep. Jimmy Harris

504-243-1960

harrisj@legis.la.gov

Congressman Cedric Richmond

202-225-6636

Army Corps

504-862-1344

mark.h.lahare@usace.army.mil

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B37AcV Water Issues

Action Alerts: Full Funding for Flood Protection Now

Funding for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is at risk. These funds are used to elevation homes, acquire and demolish flood prone buildings and protect our neighborhoods from flooding.

Please contact Senator Bill Cassidy (202) 224-5824  online contact form and Senator John Kennedy (202) 224-4623  online contact form

Tell them how much Louisiana and the rest of the country needs full funding for flood protection.

Talking Points 
  • I’m concerned and urge you to oppose inclusion of Sec. 2009 of the H.R. 4667, the 3rd Disaster Supplemental passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this past December.
  • Sec. 2009 would siphon scarce dollars away from FEMA projects that help people and communities reduce their risk of flooding and allow Corps of Engineers projects to receive funding through a backdoor.
  • The Corps already spends 9 times more on levees and stream channelization projects than FEMA does on home buyouts, home elevations, and protecting public infrastructure.
  • FEMA’s funds need to stay put and not be diverted to more costly and less cost-effective Army Corps of Engineers projects.
  • Please oppose inclusion of Sec. 2009 in any disaster supplemental that the U.S. Senate votes on.

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B37AcV New Orleans, Water Issues

Town Hall on the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans

November 14th, 2017

Town Hall with Justice & Beyond on the dysfunction of the Sewerage & Water Board in New Orleans. 

  • ACV supports the Full platform of our allies in the struggle to reform SWB especially no privatization ever.
  • ACV also supports a lower rate structure for low to mdoerate income people, especially the elderly and disabled residents.
  • Flooding is a problem for many reasons, and it includes that it discourages former residents from returning.
  • The SWB needs a full-service plan to remove all lead lines in the entire system.  We would like the details of this plan to be calendarized and made transparent.
  • The SWB needs to manage a program that includes a long-term plan to audit each residential property to notify the owner and residents of all sources of lead in their system, as well as to install certified filters at the main  faucet used for drinking and cooking in each residence. and to train the residents how to replace the filters.

 

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