MALFEASANCE ALLEGED

Remember Louis Farrakhan's claim that New Orleans's levees were bombed and his demand that the government prove they weren't? Okay then:

A team of engineers investigating the failure of New Orleans-area levees yesterday said power struggles among local boards and factions created a "public hazard" and that "malfeasance" may be to blame for catastrophic flooding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Raymond Seed, team leader from the National Science Foundation, told a Senate panel that the team is still investigating "very disturbing reports of malfeasance" and that some sections of the levees were not constructed as designed.

A lack of coordination among groups participating in the New Orleans Flood Defense System (NOFDS) led to differing heights of levees, inferior materials and may have prevented access to some of the breaches, said the preliminary report by the team comprised of the National Science Foundation and American Society of Civil Engineers.

"In our surveys of the NOFDS, it was not always clear which agency had responsibilities for what part or parts of the system," the report said. "In many instances, it was clear that flooding and breaching of the NOFDS had developed because of breakdowns within the multiplicity of organizations or at their 'interfaces.'"

"In many cases, multiple organizations were involved and the system was such that any imperfections in the merging of the different elements resulted in vulnerabilities in the overall system," the report said.

The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for overseeing design and construction of many elements of the NOFDS, but numerous other organizations participate and are in charge of maintaining it, including the New Orleans Levee Board, New Orleans Sewage and Water Board, private property owners and other state and federal agencies.

"Fights over turf, pride and other issues involving public safety need to be stopped," Mr. Seed said. "It becomes a public hazard."

"Some not on speaking terms are sharing responsibility for public safety," said Mr. Seed citing a rift between sewer boards as an example. "These guys don't get along."

Malfeasance – isn't it a wonderful word – pretty much sums up Louisiana.