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The Daily
Volume 115, Issue 19
Tune in KLSU at 11 a.m. to hear the chancellor discuss the University’s budget cuts
www.lsureveille.com
Friday, Sept. 17, 2010
Lombardi State officials: Berm project smaller than expected fires UNO chancellor OIL SPILL
Staff and Wire Reports University of New Orleans Chancellor Tim Ryan said at a news conference Thurdsay that LSU System President John Lombardi fired him. Ryan said Lombardi summoned him to Baton Rouge on Thursday to tell him he was let go but did not specify why. After what he called increased micromanaging of the university by the System, Ryan said he was forced to step down because “I would not let UNO be run as a branch campus of LSU-Baton Rouge.” The LSU System will soon launch a national search to replace Ryan. In the meantime, Lombardi will serve as interim chancellor, in the same way former System President William Jenkins also performed the dual duties of president and LSU Chancellor in 2004 when former Chancellor Mark Emmert stepped down, according to LSU System spokesman Charles Zewe. “That leaves the university without any strong internal voice as the LSU System makes budget cuts,” Ryan said of UNO. “There could be no worse time to make this kind of change in leadership.” Ryan served as UNO’s chancellor for seven years and will be given a six-month sabbatical with the option of returning to work at the UNO College of Business, where he previously served. “The LSU System genuinely values Dr. Ryan’s many contributions throughout his academic career and especially while serving as chancellor in guiding UNO through tough and challenging times such as the current budget crisis and the university’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina,” Lombardi said in a news release. Lombardi and four New Orleans-area Board of Supervisors members will help oversee UNO’s administration change. According to the release, Lombardi will work on the transition process with a team of System and UNO officials, including LSU System Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Michael Gargano and LSU System Chief of Staff and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Technology Transfer Carolyn Hargrave. The four UNO officials on the CHANCELLOR, see page 5
photo courtesy of the GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
Matthew Albright Staff Writer
State officials said the controversial berm project they have pursued in the wake of the BP oil spill will be significantly smaller than originally planned. The BP-funded project, which Gov. Bobby Jindal has advocated strenuously, aims to use dredged sand to bolster miles of
barrier islands along the coast in an effort to stop oil from washing ashore. But state officials said some scientists and media outlets are misrepresenting their plans for the project’s scope. The original plans for the project were sweeping in scale — 19 berm segments would span more than 100 miles of Louisiana coast, shielding sensitive wetlands from oil. After considering those plans, the Army Corps of Engineers gave the state an emergency permit to build six berms spanning 14.5 miles of coast, according to Garret Graves, director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities. Graves said the state has constructed 8.5 miles of berms so far, and sand has been dredged from the Mississippi River and will be pumped to finish the six remaining miles of berms.
Once that sand has been distributed, the state will have finished the work allowed by the emergency permit. In order to expand the project to its original scope, including 13 new berms, a full-time permit from the Corps is necessary — but Graves said his agency made the decision not to pursue that permit in August, despite media reports to the contrary. Graves said his office was required to submit the full proposal 30 days after submitting the emergency proposal. But while media and scientists are waiting for the Corps to approve the full permit, Graves said his office has been focused on the six berms covered under the emergency permit. “We certainly recognized that, timing-wise, with the well being capped, we were going to [stay with the first six berms],” he said.
Graves said some scientists and media outlets have misinterpreted his department’s efforts. He specifically mentioned The Advocate, which ran a Sept. 9 article describing a letter to the Corps claiming that “Jindal also wants the Corps’ permission to build 13 other berms for a total of 101 miles.” “The Advocate very much misconstrued what the EPA said,” Graves said. The letter was written by Miguel I. Flores, director of the EPA’s Water Quality Protection Division, and said, “We question the timeliness of berm construction and the ability of the berm to substantially reduce the amount of oil reaching wetlands. “We made it clear [to the Corps] that the six berms were our BERMS, see page 5
Good as Gold
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
LSU’s defensive line huddles up Sept. 11 before the Tigers’ 27-3 win against Vanderbilt. The Tigers will host Mississippi State on Saturday for the annual Gold Game.
Tigers open home slate Saturday against Mississippi State in annual Gold Game Mark Clements Sports Contributor
There’s no place like home. The adage echoes the general consensus around the LSU football locker room this week as the Tigers prepare to defend their home turf for the first time this year. No. 15 LSU (2-0, 1-0) hosts Mississippi State (1-1, 0-1)
Saturday night in Tiger Stadium for the annual Gold Game, in front of a home crowd calling for change. After two games, junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson has completed 23 of 41 passes for a mere 247 yards — last in the Southeastern Conference and 92nd in the nation. The LSU offense as a whole ranks 76th in the nation and ninth in the SEC with 352.5 yards per game.
“The quarterback play — we have to get better at it,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I think everybody knows that, and certainly our quarterbacks do. I think the advantage is that both guys are competing.” Miles said Jefferson will get the start but didn’t shy away from the idea of junior quarterback Jarrett Lee seeing action, saying Lee has earned
the right to play. “There’s a point in time where the guy that works as hard as Lee needs the opportunity to get on the field and play because he has competed really well,” Miles said. “I don’t know that it’s even with regard to how Jordan’s playing. I don’t necessarily think it’s a negative if I go GOLD GAME, see page 5