Levees' Fate Sealed in Washington - Los Angeles Times

Levees' Fate Sealed in Washington - Los Angeles Times: "WASHINGTON -- For years, Washington had been warned that doom lurked just beyond the levee. And for years, the White House and Congress had dickered over how much money to put into shoring up century-old dikes and carrying out newer flood control projects to protect the city of New Orleans.

As recently as three months ago, the alarms were still sounding -- and still being brushed aside.

In late May, the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formally notified Washington that hurricane storm surges could knock out two of the big pumping stations that must operate night and day even in normal times to keep the city dry.

Also, the Corps said, several levees had 'settled' and would soon need to be raised. And they reminded Washington again that an ambitious flood-control study proposed four years before remained just that -- a written proposal never begun for lack of funding."