New Orleans levees and ASCE flawed peer reviews, email from Levees.org

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Panel blasts ASCE for ignoring "confict of interest"
levees.org

September 17, 2008

Last Friday, some amazing news was released that is directly relevant to you.

An esteemed panel of scientists and experts determined that major changes are needed if the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is to continue providing trustworthy peer reviews on engineering studies of national significance.

Studies like the levee investigation by the US Army Corps of Engineers after Katrina.

The task force led by retired Congressman Sherwood Boehlert NY-R issued a litany of criticisms on how the ASCE conducts its peer reviews, most notably the inadequate "consideration of real or perceived conflict of interest."

The panel also noted that "...as the scope and importance of the engineering review increased the process for funding the review became more ambiguous...."

The panel dealt a crippling blow to the credibility of the corps-sponsored Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) because all of the things the task force soundly criticized were clearly and abundantly present in the ASCE's peer review of the levee study.

The existence of the Boehlert Report firmly reinforces the levees.org assertion that the citizens of Louisiana and America deserve the 8/29 Investigation Act.

Click here to send a letter to your Members of Congress!

Also please call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at [phone]. Dial the number and tell the aide you want to leave a message for the Speaker. You will be transferred to her voicemail. Say this: "Madame Speaker, I live in (say your state). Please do what it takes to get the 8/29 Investigation Act passed!"

Thank you for helping America see that levee failure and flooding is not just a New Orleans issue!

Please call Speaker Pelosi and click here to send a letter to your Members of Congress!

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1625/t/2541/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2261&utm_campaign=emailblast&utm_source=Boehlert&utm_medium=email

Please do both by 5pm EST Friday Sept 19.

And please forward this note to your family and friends!


Thank you,
Sandy Rosenthal
Founder and director, levees.org