Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said he is planning to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening.
The opening of the Spillway last spring caused significant damage to the Mississippi commercial seafood industry, including nearly 100 percent oyster mortalities, along with a 60 percent drop in shrimp landings, and a 40 percent drop in blue crab landings.
At a press conference, Hood explained that the lawsuit is intended to hold the federal government responsible for the damage, specifically to the Gulf Coast. In addition to commercial seafood, the tourism sector has been impacted.
Hood is required to give a 60-day notice prior to filing the suit.
“We don’t want Louisiana or New Orleans to flood, but the Corps has some decision on when to open the spillway. Mississippi doesn’t deserve to be a dumping ground,” said Hood at the press conference, WLBT 3 reported.
Fishermen and others affected by the opening need relief now, according to Hood, but it’s unclear when a solution will happen.
“They’re going to drag this out for years, so I want to go ahead and get started on it now,” Hood said.
Hood also said the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening was worse than the damage incurred by the BP oil spill.
“BP didn’t wipe out all of our oysters, but this one has,” he said, WLBT 3 reported.
Photo courtesy of ms.gov
