St. John urges corps on levee plan

In the wake of major flooding during Hurricane Isaac, the St. John the Baptist Parish president is asking the Army Corps of Engineers to speed up plans for levees.

The Times-Picayune reports that Natalie Robottom has asked the corps to fast-track a decision on an alignment for a hurricane levee to protect the east banks of St. John and St. James parishes.

She recently went to Washington to make the parish's case.

Robottom said financing for the project, estimated to cost $258 million, could be added by the Obama administration or in the president's budget for fiscal year 2013.

Parish officials said flooding from the storm put water in at least 6,000 homes in the parish, more than half of the 11,521 dwellings in LaPlace.