By Chris Moore

chris.moore@panews.com

 

BEAUMONT — Members of Drainage District 7 met Monday with Jefferson County commissioners for a workshop that explained future Hazard Mitigation and Community Development Block Grant projects.

DD7 Manager Phil Kelley said that the district submitted six plans that total over $192 million.

“If they are true to form like they were after the last two storms, they’ll tell us to choose one,” DD7 Commission Chairman Richard Beaumont said. “After the first two storms, we chose six projects and they told us to choose the one we want funded.”

The first project, Rodair Detention, is a plan to buy 125 acres of land off Highway 69 and excavate 5 feet deep to achieve a capacity of 625 acre-feet. This detention pond would help alleviate some of the flooding in the area around Central Gardens in Nederland. The estimated cost of the project is $6.5 million.

The second project, A3A Detention, would buy 25 acres of land near Hogaboom Road to achieve a capacity 125-acre feet. The estimated cost of the project is $4 million.

The third project, Groves Detention, includes buying 35 acres of land next to Taft Elementary and using that land as a 5-feet deep detention pond. The estimated cost of the project is $3.2 million.

The fourth project, Port Acres Detention, includes buying 60 acres of land and excavating to an average of 15 feet to achieve a capacity of 900 acre-feet. The land is located off Highway 365 and is located next to an existing pumping station, which means the pond would operate without requiring additional pumping sources. The estimated cost of this project is $12.8 million.

The fifth project, Halbouty Detention-Expansion, includes utilizing 460 acres of land and excavating to 15 feet to achieve a capacity of 6,500 acre-feet. The estimated cost of the project is $91.7 million.

The final project, Main C Diversion and Pump Station, will require the purchase of 52 acres of land alleviate load on Main C and add additional system capacity to move flood waters. The diversion channel would convey water to a newly contrasted pump station, which would discharge water outside of the hurricane protection levee. According to DD7, this project would directly improve drainage in about 25 percent of DD7’s service area. The estimated cost of this project is $74.2 million.

Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said that the federal government has spent over $1 billion for aid and housing since Tropical Storm Harvey.

“(These) projects don’t come anywhere near that,” he said.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Michael Sinegal echoed Branick’s thoughts on the costs of the projects.

“We’re talking about displacing citizens,” Sinegal said. “If we’re going to worry about the cost of keeping Port Arthur from flooding, then maybe we need to move everybody out of Port Arthur. That’s not an option as far as I’m concerned. A couple hundred million dollars compared to $1 billion already spent in the area by the federal government. I just think it needs to be a united push by all of those elected and the citizens of Jefferson County to tell our Congress people that we need allocation to mitigate this flooding.”

Sinegal said the city officials have to start working together on finding solutions.

“I told Phil Kelley that (city governments) not willing to talk is not an option,” Sinegal said. “This is not fake news. This is real. It’s going to rain again. It might not be 60 inches, but what if we get 25? If we can’t mitigate that type of flooding, then the citizens need to know. I understand it’s going to take time and money. Positive motion is better than no motion.”

Sinegal said Port Arthur will host a town hall meeting to answer questions about flood mitigation plans at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center on Aug. 9.