Berm Project News Today

Collier County’s 2023 Emergency Berm Project is expected to begin the first week of April.

>> well, we have a brain trust of coastal science here in louisiana, been here for 50 years because of the mississippi river delta. we know the delta better than -- i mean, we have the people who are the absolute world experts. when the berm project was proposed and all of a sudden announced as a done deal, none of the scientists had been involved in planning this thing. we all have concerns that by an engineering project without adult supervision frankly, is a prospect that could do more harm t...

It was not spent? >> well, we have a brain trust of coastal science here in louisiana, been here for 50 years because of the mississippi river delta. we know the delta better than -- i mean, we have the people who are the absolute world experts. when the berm project was proposed and all of a sudden announced as a done deal, none of the scientists had been involved in planning this thing. we all had concerns by an engineering project without adult supervision frankly is a prospect that could do ...

>> well, we have a brain trust of coastal science here in louisiana, been here for 50 years because of the mississippi river delta. we know the delta better than -- i mean, we have the people who are the absolute world experts. when the berm project was proposed and all of a sudden announced as a done deal, none of the scientists had been involved in planning this thingç we all have concerns that by an engineering project without adult supervision frankly, is a prospect that could do more harm ...

That, too. >> absolutely. today, the berms, well, maybe we dont need to finish them. were fighting this every day in the marshes. the only way were going to control our way of life, get our way of life back is if we have those berms out there, we have barges in the pass and we can keep all that oil at bay. i flew out to the oil site and there was oil for an hour, oil all the way out there. and the oil below the surface. >> so even if this thing shuts off right now, theres still 80-plus days of o...

Break. i want to talk more about the berm project. scientists are saying look, this isnt working. well talk about that when we come back. are the berms washing away? are they still a good idea? a lot of people are divided on that. the live chat is under way right now. also later tonight, raw politics. the naacp alleging racism among some in the tea party movement. well ask a tea party organizer how he answered those charges. well hear more from roland martin and from haiti as well. [ man ] im a ...

But the thing people are scared of down here and everybody is saying, you know, when they cap this well, please dont think this thing is over. this is the real, real fear that we have. billy, your people are saying that, too. >> absolutely. today, the berms, well, maybe we dont need to finish them. were fighting this every day in the marshes. the only way were going to control our way of life, get our way of life back is if we have those berms out there, we have barges in the pass and we can kee...

>> all were saying is dont force us to stop. well replace every bit of dirt were borrowing. it was part of the original permitted area. it will take us literally five to seven more days to build a pipeline and move it two miles the way they want us to move and well replace every bit of dirt we borrowed within weeks. >> bobby jindal says in the five to seven days it will take to build a new pipeline, they could also build another mile of sand berm. >> they talk about the hypothetical concern. wha...

>> theres a mass of oil coming. >> absolutely. we know this works. this isnt theatrical. this oil will cause real damage. >> environmental groups have raised doubts about the effectiveness of this berm project. federal officials have approved it. they just have a problem of where the current sediment is coming from. >> do you think folks in washington dont get this? >> i think theres a lot of rhetoric going around. they say were fighting the war. we are doing everything. does it look like were d...

You also mentioned earlier, is a big problem here. this spill is going to be with us for years and not just days. and we really need to make sure that we establish a much better process for getting scientists involved on the front end for ideas like this and get scientists involved in vetting them very, very quickly, once theyve been proposed. and right now, were just relying on the army corps of engineers under their emergency order to basically make that call and, you know, theyre giving agenc...