Louisiana Halts USD 3 Billion Coastal Restoration Project

Louisiana has officially stopped a USD 3 billion coastal restoration project funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement, according to state and federal agencies.

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project was designed to restore more than 20 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana to counter sea level rise and erosion along the Gulf Coast. Conservation advocates hailed it as a science-based solution to address climate change impacts in a state losing a football field of land every 100 minutes.

However, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry opposed the project, arguing it would harm local oystermen and the fishing industry. The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, managing the settlement funds, cited ongoing litigation and the suspension of a federal permit as reasons for declaring the project ''no longer viable.'' Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority confirmed the project's cancellation.

(With inputs from agencies.)