Long considered the weakest link in Plaquemines Parish’s Westbank levee protection system, the private, non-federal levees between Oakville and Diamond are now on a faster track to adoption into the federal New Orleans to Venice levee system.

“President Nungesser, dredge away.”

Plaquemines Parish Council Chair Don Beshel offered those words of affirmation to Parish President Billy Nungesser after the council voted unanimously May 27 to appropriate $1 million to jump start a plan to construct sand barriers to help guard the parish’s fragile coast against encroaching oil.