Biden Approves Emergency Declaration in Louisiana Over Seawater Intrusion

The $1.1 billion Lake Borgne Surge Barrier stands near the confluence of and across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Aug. 23, 2019. The massive structure was built by the Army Corps of Engineers along with other reinforcements to defend the city of New Orleans against future hurricanes and storms. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for the state of Louisiana to help tackle saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River that has been threatening drinking water supplies in the region.

The emergency declaration, approved on Sept. 27, will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and provide assistance for required emergency measures.

“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion, the equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the White House stated.

Emergency protective measures—under the Public Assistance program limited to temporary measures that address reduced water treatment capability due to saltwater intrusion—will be provided at 75 percent federal funding for a maximum period of 90 days.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards thanked the president for approving the emergency declaration. He requested the declaration on Sept. 25, saying it would be crucial to help affected communities.

“As a result of the historic drought throughout the Mississippi River Valley, the rate of freshwater flowing down the Mississippi River has been dramatically low, allowing an intrusion of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to make its way upriver,” he said.

The Democrat governor said that Plaquemines Parish is already being affected by the intrusion, while other parishes—St. Bernard, Jefferson, and Orleans—are projected to be impacted over the next month.

“Efforts to mitigate the impact of the saltwater intrusion are currently underway, and other projects are being considered based on the projections being received from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),” Mr. Edwards said in a statement.

“This 90-day approval of our Emergency Declaration will help our state and local partners with the costs of any mitigation efforts and protective measures.

“As this event unfolds, we will continue to analyze the emergency efforts and impacts to determine if further requests will be necessary,” he added.

The Mississippi River approaches a levee in New Orleans, La., on July 11, 2019. Matthew Hinton/AP

An extended lack of rainfall in Louisiana and across the Mississippi River Valley in recent months has caused the rate of freshwater flowing down the Mississippi River to decline, while saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has quickly started to creep in.

The river’s flow is typically sufficient to prevent saltwater from moving far upstream. But for the second year in a row, hot and dry weather has lowered the Mississippi River’s flow, allowing a denser, heavier layer of saltwater from the gulf to force its way upstream.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), high concentrations of salt consumption may cause people to develop nausea, vomiting, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, thirst, muscular twitching, convulsions, and “possibly death.”

“A large body of evidence suggests that excessive sodium intake contributes to age-related increases in blood pressure leading to hypertension [high blood pressure]. Increased blood pressure has also been clearly demonstrated in several animal species given high concentrations of sodium chloride in their diets,” the EPA said in a 2003 drinking water advisory (pdf).

The World Health Organization also notes (pdf) that high blood pressure “has been clearly demonstrated in different species of animals given high levels of sodium chloride in their diet.”

Multiple communities in south Louisiana, including New Orleans, rely on the river’s freshwater for everything from drinking to cleaning, with their water intake treatment facilities located along the river.

Officials are addressing the issue in multiple ways, including heightening an existing sill—an underwater levee used to block or slow the wedge of salt water—and bringing in 15 million gallons of freshwater for residents in impacted areas.

Katabella Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.