The greatest natural threat posed to the New Orleans area is from  hurricane-induced storm surges, waves, and rainfalls. Although federally  authorized, the project was a joint federal, state, and local effort. The  Corps was responsible for project design and construction of the  approximately 125 miles of levees, with the federal government paying 70  percent of the costs, and state and local interests paying 30 percent. Level of Protection Authorized by Congress

Congress authorized the Lake Pontchartrain project in 1965, substantially  in accordance with a Chief of Engineers report, to protect the areas  around the lake from flooding caused by storm surge or rainfall associated  with a standard project hurricane. For the coastal region of Louisiana, a  standard project hurricane was expected to have a frequency of  occurrence of once in about 200 years, and represented the most severe  combination of meteorological conditions considered reasonably  characteristic for the region. According to the Corps, the standard project  hurricane used for the Lake Pontchartrain project would roughly equal a  fast-moving category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Authorities, Roles, and Responsibilities for Operating and Maintaining the Levees

Consistent with federal law, agreements between the Corps and local  sponsors of the Lake Pontchartrain project specify that local sponsors are  responsible for operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and  rehabilitation of the levees when the construction of the project, or a  project unit, is complete. However, the Corps has authority to (1) repair  the project if deficiencies are the result of the original construction and  (2) rehabilitate the project, if damage resulted from a flood and the project  is active in the Corps’ Rehabilitation Inspection Program. Although the Corps has not yet  provided us with dates on when the project units for the Lake  Pontchartrain project were completed, after Hurricane Katrina, the Corps’  New Orleans District and the Department of Defense’s Task Force  Guardian determined, based on three criteria, that almost the entire Lake  Pontchartrain hurricane project had been turned over to local sponsors for  ongoing OMRR&R responsibilities. According to internal Corps regulations, upon transfer of a completed  project to the local sponsors, the Corps may no longer expend federal  funds on construction or project improvements. Local sponsors’ responsibilities for OMRR&R of the completed portions of  the Lake Pontchartrain project were established through local assurances  signed by the levee districts and the Corps. Procedures to Ensure That Levees Are Properly Maintained

Both local sponsors and the Corps are required to conduct oversight  activities to ensure that levees are properly maintained. If, in the course of  these oversight activities, the Corps finds that the local sponsors are not  properly maintaining the levees, internal Corps regulations outline a series  of steps that the Corps can take until the local sponsor comes into  compliance. Authorities, Roles, and Responsibilities When Levees Fail

The Corps has authority to provide a variety of emergency response  actions when levees fail or are damaged. Section 5 of the Flood Control  Act of 1941, as amended, commonly referred to as Public Law 84-99,  authorizes the Corps to conduct emergency operations and rehabilitation  activities when levees fail or are damaged. In addition, under the Robert  T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act),  as amended, the Corps and other federal agencies may be tasked by FEMA  to provide disaster response, recovery, and mitigation assistance to state  and local governments. Furthermore, a Department of Defense Manual  for Civil Emergencies assigns responsibilities, prescribes procedures, and  provides guidance by which the Department of Defense responds to all  hazards in accordance with the Stafford Act. State and local roles and responsibilities when levees fail are  similar to the Corps’ responsibilities and are also described in federal  regulations. The National Response Plan lists the following activities for the Corps:    coordination and support of infrastructure risk and vulnerability    participation in preincident activities, such as prepositioning assessment    participation in postincident assessments of public works and  infrastructure to help determine critical needs and potential work loads; implementation of structural and nonstructural mitigation measures to  minimize adverse effects or fully protect resources prior to an incident;   execution of emergency contracting support for life-saving and life- sustaining services, to include providing potable water, ice, emergency  power, and other emergency commodities and services;   providing assistance in monitoring and stabilizing damaged structures, and  demolishing structures designated as immediate hazards to public health  and safety, and providing structural specialist expertise to support  inspection of mass care facilities and urban search and rescue operations;   providing emergency repair of damaged infrastructure and critical public  facilities, and supporting the restoration of critical navigation, flood  control, and other water infrastructure systems;   managing, monitoring, and providing technical advice in the clearance,  removal, and disposal of debris from public property and the re- establishment of ground and water routes into impacted areas; and implementing and managing FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and other  recovery programs involving federal, state, and tribal officials, including  efforts to permanently repair, replace, or relocate damaged or destroyed  public facilities and infrastructure. Planned Emergency Response Activities

The Corps is authorized by Public Law 84-99 to prepare for emergency  response when levees fail by undertaking disaster preparedness, advance  measures, and hazard mitigation activities. As part of this effort, according to Corps officials, the  Corps’ New Orleans district used a draft hurricane preparedness plan for  the New Orleans area. 3. 4. 2. To implement advanced measures, the governor should make a  written request to the Corps.
Why GAO Did This Study

The greatest natural threat posed to the New Orleans area is from hurricane-induced storm surges, waves, and rainfalls. To protect the area from this threat, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) was authorized by Congress in 1965 to design and construct a system of levees as part of the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana Hurricane Protection Project. Although federally authorized, the project was a joint federal, state, and local effort. For the levees in the project, the Corps was responsible for design and construction, with the federal government paying 70 percent of the costs and state and local interests paying 30 percent. As requested, GAO is providing information on the (1) level of protection authorized by Congress for the Lake Pontchartrain project; (2) authorities, roles, and responsibilities of the Corps and local sponsors with respect to the operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of the levees; (3) procedures in place to ensure that responsible parties maintain the levees in accordance with the authorized protection level; (4) authorities, roles, and responsibilities of the Corps and local parties when levees fail or are damaged; and (5) plans, capabilities, and activities that have been developed by the Corps to ensure an adequate emergency response when levees fail. GAO is not making any recommendations at this time. The Corps is authorized to prepare for emergency response when levees fail by undertaking disaster preparedness, advance measures, and hazard mitigation activities. The Corps' New Orleans district has developed an all hazards emergency response plan for the New Orleans area.

What GAO Found

Congress authorized the Lake Pontchartrain project to protect the New Orleans area from flooding caused by storm surge or rainfall associated with a hurricane that had the chance of occurring once in 200 years. This was termed as the "standard project hurricane" and represented the most severe combination of meteorological conditions considered reasonable for the region. As hurricanes are currently characterized, the Corps" standard project hurricane approximately equals a fast-moving category 3 hurricane, according to the Corps. Agreements between the Corps and four New Orleans levee districts--the local sponsors for the Lake Pontchartrain project--specify that the local sponsors are responsible for operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and rehabilitation of the levees after construction of the project, or a project unit, is complete. Pre-Katrina, according to the Corps, most of the levees included in the Lake Pontchartrain project had been completed and turned over to the local sponsors for operations and maintenance. The Corps has authority to repair or rehabilitate completed flood control projects if (1) deficiencies are related to the original construction or (2) damage is caused by a flood and the project is active in the Corps' Rehabilitation Inspection Program. According to internal Corps regulations, federal funds cannot be used for regular operations and maintenance activities. Both local sponsors and the Corps are required to conduct regular inspections to ensure that levees are properly maintained. If the Corps finds that local sponsors are not properly maintaining the levees, internal Corps regulations outline a series of steps, such as notifying the governor or taking legal action, that the Corps can take to bring the local sponsor in to compliance. Corps inspection reports for 2001-2004 indicate that the completed portions of the Lake Pontchartrain project were maintained at an acceptable level. When levees fail or are damaged, the Corps has authority to provide a variety of emergency response actions. Specifically, the Corps is authorized to undertake emergency operations and rehabilitation activities and, if tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to provide disaster response, recovery, and mitigation assistance to state and local governments, as needed. In addition, a Department of Defense manual assigns responsibilities, prescribes procedures, and provides guidance for responding to hazards. State and local roles and responsibilities when levees fail are similar to the Corps' responsibilities and are described in federal regulations. The Corps is authorized to prepare for emergency response when levees fail by undertaking disaster preparedness, advance measures, and hazard mitigation activities. The Corps' New Orleans district has developed an all hazards emergency response plan for the New Orleans area.