Matt has been taking his digital camera to the worksites, attending open meetings, watching the webcams especially at the 17'th Street Canal worksites and reading the Corps publications.

He notes that the Corps has settled back into working at a glacial pace. Inexplicably they have been slow to release contracts to rewire pump motors, replace bearings, even fix the roofs at S&WB pumping stations. They have also been moving slowly on the 17'th street flood walls, especially the "temporary" pumps. Purchases for this structure suggest the Corps expects it to be in place far longer than the 3-5 years that might be expected for a temporary system.

He monitored the December 22, 2006 rainstorm carefully noting the conditions at each of the Orleans pumping stations.

As 2007 winds forward and the second post-Katrina hurricane season approaches, the Corps is struggling to get their interim outfall canal solution in place. The problems are myriad.

• Sand has been found under the levee and the sheet pilings on the west side (Metairie) of the 17th Street Canal near Vets Mem Blvd are too short. The plan to allow up to six feet of water before sealing the canals with flood gates at the Lakefront is at risk.
• The temporary pumps at the temporary flood gates temporarily don't work so the city will flood with rainwater when the gates are closed.
  
• The temporary pumps may never work because of their design and construction
  
• Critical pipes and joints in the temporary pumps are rusting. Even if they can be made to work, how long will they keep working? Beware, some of the temporary components are being designed to last 30 years, most won't last 30 minutes. Now that's what I call Engineering!
  

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McBride remains relentless in researching and documenting. Way to go Matt!