Army Corps of Engineers installs defective pumps in NOLA despite warnings that they would fail

Original at Booman Tribune.

Assbackery 101, second semester, 2007.

This story came in last night, but The Guardian picked it up this a.m.:

The 2006 hurricane season turned out to be mild, and the new pumps were never pressed into action. But the Corps and the politically connected manufacturer of the equipment are still struggling to get the 34 heavy-duty pumps working properly.

The pumps are now being pulled out and overhauled because of excessive vibration, Corps officials said. Other problems have included overheated engines, broken hoses and blown gaskets, according to the documents obtained by the Associated Press.

How can you fix something that is going to continue to be defective?

I'm really beginning to wonder whether they want New Orleans to return at all.

And not only New Orleans, says Harry Shearer.  Our national infrastructure, including levees in 27 other states, needs assistance.

But could you trust the company installing the pumps in your commmunity that they would work properly in a cataclysm?  

You couldn't trust Moving Water Industries Corp. (MWI) of Deerfield Beach, FL., who built the drainage system for the Corps.

MWI is owned by J. David Eller and his sons. Eller was once a business partner of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in a venture called Bush-El that marketed MWI pumps. And Eller has donated about $128,000 to politicians, the vast majority of it to the Republican Party, since 1996, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Seems like every motherfreaking Bush/Cheney ally bills the American people faulty or defective or nonexistent equipment or services, even if they gave a competitive bid.  

Lest people forget: Katrina's Category 1 or 2 storm surge caused the waters of Lake Pontchartrain to back up into drainage canals. Its already-compromised canal walls collapsed, which resulted in 80 percent of New Orleans flooded. Over 1600 Crescent City residents died, with many missing and unaccounted for. Many hundreds of thousands will never return its still devastated districts.

And although no hurricanes made landfall in the Gulf Coast last year, there is no guarantee that they won't roll into the Gulf of Mexico and threaten New Orleans and other coastal environs this year.

•  i'm embarassed

  i sent them a resume.

  by terrypinder on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:40:25 AM PDT

  •  Scout Prime sez

    Visit http://fixthepumps.blogspot.com/...

    If they aren't doing it right, why bother joining such a wretched organization?

    by blksista on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:45:13 AM PDT

    •  this was pre-Katrina

      but i'm still embarrassed.

      by terrypinder on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 10:04:26 AM PDT

•  Tips, runs in stockings, errors?

  Hurricane season starts in less than three months.  Are you ready?

  by blksista on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:40:27 AM PDT

  •  have you been reading...

    ...fix the pumps?

    by fake consultant on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 10:35:56 PM PDT

    •  Yeah...but someone down there has to get

      a few lifejackets and boats.  I'm in Wisconsin.

      by blksista on Fri Mar 16, 2007 at 08:48:21 AM PDT

•  The more I hear stories like this

  The more I believe the rumors that certain factions also want D.C. to be "repopulated."

  These people never seem to learn.  

  by Omen on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:46:31 AM PDT

•  The Army Corps of Engineers:

  the conduit for political favors for decades.  Wonder why no one has suggested privatizing them?

  by wozzle on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:47:04 AM PDT

  •  Sort of Privatized

    ACOE contract out engineering to a lot of SUV driving, McMansion owning engineers that have not received their PE.  Cannot afford the lifestyle while interning so they work thru the ACOE.  Lots of LSU frat boys connected to the the local construction companies and politicians.  The only problem is they flooded themselves out of Lakeview due to negligent design of deficient levees.  

    by chigh on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 07:22:44 AM PDT

•  Bush would let it happen again!

  NEW ORLEANS - The Army Corps of Engineers, rushing to meet President Bush's promise to protect New Orleans by the start of the 2006 hurricane season, installed defective flood-control pumps last year despite warnings from its own expert that the equipment would fail during a storm, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. ....

  "Let me give you the scenario: You have four months to build something that nobody has ever built before, and if you don't, the city floods and the Corps, which already has a black eye, could basically be dissolved. How many people would put up with a second flooding?" said Randy Persica, the Corps' resident engineer for New Orleans' three major drainage canals.

  via Yahoo

  by cotterperson on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 09:56:03 AM PDT

•  You are NOT "beginning to wonder ...

  ...whether they want New Orleans to return at all."

  You know that some of them DON'T want that. Certainly not the old New Orleans, but rather some "purified" version - and we know what they want it cleansed of.

  by Meteor Blades on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 10:00:15 AM PDT

  •  I was signifying, of course...

    Over at da po blog, da po boy said that last Saturday he learned that at least four pumps were now online after a test and were not vibrating.  However:

    Just tell us next time something is defective. We can take it. After all, it’s not the first time a USACE project didn’t work.

    Jeez.  How many 3 stooges does it take to...never mind.

    by blksista on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 10:07:18 AM PDT

  •  At the same time,

    having defective pumps does nothing for the white population, either.  A wall of water doesn't segregate between neighborhoods.  Now you'd expect that higher areas would be de facto wealthier areas, given the property value: and while there's some truth to that, don't forget that the lowest-lying area of town, Lakeview, is also the wealthiest and most powerful.  It was completely devestated post-Katrina: the only reason the lower 9th looked worse was because of a certain barge.

    So I don't see what the city's wealthy, white Lakeview population has to gain from defective pumps.

    I understand (far too well) that some people in NOLA are happy that a certain element of the city hasn't returned, and aren't eager to have that element back.  But in this case, I think it's just a typical half-ass job by the Corps, who have a long history of typical half-ass jobs.  

    I mentioned this story on another diary a while back, but my grandmother tells me that, when she was younger, the levee inspector of St. Bernard parish was blind.  I'm sure the guy did a great job testing for leaks with his toes, and I'm sure the fact that his cousin was a powerful politician had nothing to do with that.

    Nepotism, corruption, and incompetence make for one helluva disastrous troika.

    by pico on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 10:16:47 AM PDT

    •  Certain Element

      staff the hospitals, restaurants and hotels.  These businesses will never make it w/o the "certain element".

      by chigh on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 11:25:46 AM PDT

    •  Point taken. n/t

      by Meteor Blades on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 12:27:51 PM PDT

•  Pumps

  These pumps are not just for hurricane surge, but also drainage from rain storms.  Although if the concrete evee walls are no good, what does it matter?

  I hope this article helps you all understand where the federal money went - to Bush cronies.  What is very strange is there was no article in the Times Picayune this morning.  It was covered as a run through on the local TV stations and w/o mention of Bush's pump friend.

  LA has excess revenue and there appears to be a covert call, I assume from Jindal flunkies to force Blanco to spend on "coastal restoration".  These people I do not trust.  There is also the tobacco settlement and future oil and gas revenue that can be bonded out.  Why not go international?  Let the Dutch design and construct a water management system w/o the involvement of the ACOE, Boh Brothers, Shaw and Halliburton?  These companies have squandered enough tax payer funds and it would eliminate the crooked, criminal crony system prevelent in LA.  

  by chigh on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 11:34:03 AM PDT

  •  Clarifying

    These pumps only go into action if the gates drop during a hurricane. Otherwise, the city's normal drainage works as before, except that some pumps get turned off if the water gets too high in the canals. This already happened on December 30th.

    I have posted Ms. Garzino's complete memo at my blog, http://fixthepumps.blogspot.com.

    by mcbrid35 on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 12:28:54 PM PDT

    •  Jefferson Parish

      The republican controlled Jefferson Parish Council really sound like they believe the ACOE.  I guess they have been given "talking points" that negative comments about the federal ACOE hurt Jindal.  "The Jefferson politicians struck a much calmer tone and feel Bedey is a straight shooter".  "John Young (boyfriend of married family values hypocriite state Senator Julie Quinn) also trusts Bedey even though they have been duped in the past".  What an amazing turn around!!!  The Times Picayune did not cover story from the AP wire or the CBS segment. Although, the local TV stations carried the pump story after it created a shitstorm.

      http://www.nola.com/...

       

      by chigh on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 07:40:53 AM PDT

•  I hope this can be rescued

  Culture of Corruption

  Conservative for Republicans means--increase ability for corruption.  

  by timber on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 12:30:49 PM PDT

•  Salt Water

  The ACOE was asked on WWL radio if the pumps can handle salt water.  They don't know, will have to get back to the radio host Garland Robinette.  It seems that Bush's buddy would have had specifications that indicate the pumps need to handle salt, fresh and brackish water.  

  by chigh on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 01:24:59 PM PDT