WASHINGTON -- United States Senators Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and David Vitter, R-La., forged a compromise today to advance Pump to the River and work to make the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue drainage canals safer for the residents of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. The Senators' efforts put the Corps' work on the permanent project back in line with the desires of local residents and leaders.

Working with Senator Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senators Landrieu and Vitter were successful in getting the Senate to adopt a Pump to the River amendment as part the Energy and Water Appropriations legislation. The Landrieu-Vitter provision prohibits the Corps from building any permanent pumps or closures that would prevent the future construction of Pump to the River or improvements to the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue drainage canals. The full bill, with the Pump to the River amendment, is expected to pass the Senate later tonight.

"Today we took a significant step towards making our people safer and getting the Corps of Engineers back on the right track," Sen. Landrieu said. "The amendment the Senate adopted tonight will set us on a better course to a truly integrated system of storm surge protection and interior drainage. I will continue to work with our local leaders to ensure that their voice is heard by the Corps and we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Our very existence depends on building this flood protection system right."

"Securing this amendment is a critical step in building the best possible system of hurricane protection for the outfall canals for three reasons," said Sen. Vitter. "First, it stops the Corps from moving forward with the less technically sound option 1. Two, it requires the Corps to perform a rigorous comparison of all the available options, including options 2 and 2a. And third, it calls for a group of outside experts to also review the best options."

The amendment directs and provides funding for the Corps to complete the required feasibility and detailed cost estimates on the plans to modify the canals and construct Pump to the River. These reports must be completed on expedited basis in order to provide the Congress the necessary information to proceed with the full authorization and construction of an integrated plan.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Corps of Engineers constructed temporary floodgates and interim pumps to protect against a repeated failure of the damaged and weakened federal flood walls by future hurricane surges. In June 2006, Congress directed the Corps to design and construct Permanent Pumps for the outfall canals -- specifically, to "…modify the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue, and London Avenue drainage canals and install pumps and closure structures at or near the lakefront..."

In a subsequent act of Congress in 2007, the Corps was directed to report on the technical advantages and disadvantages of three options for storm surge reduction at the three outfall canals. The Corps' report to Congress identifies three options:

• Option 1, which would install permanent pumps and closure structures at or near the lakefront;

• Option 2, which would install permanent pumps at the lakefront, deepen and widen the canals for gravity drainage, and remove the current floodwalls along the canals; and

• Option 2a, which would incorporate all aspects of Option 2, but also add a pump and drainage canal in an area called Hoey's Basin that would discharge into the Mississippi River. This option is referred to as "Pump to the River"