May 19, 2010
Manitoba Sends Flood Tubes to Louisiana to Assist in Oil-spill Cleanup
– – –Up to 3,000 Tubes to Assist with Shoreline Protection: Premier
The Province of Manitoba will be sending up to 3,000 flood tubes to Louisiana to assist in the effort to battle the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Premier Greg Selinger said today.
“When we received the request for assistance, we acted immediately to assist in the clean-up effort. The Province of Manitoba is proud of its record in disaster-prevention recovery efforts across North America and around the world,” Selinger said.
“The flood tubes proved to be a valuable asset in Manitoba spring-flooding episodes and will now be used to help save shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton.
Shipments of the tubes are expected to begin in the next 24 hours.
This year, Manitoba had five times the number of temporary flood barriers available compared to 2009. The flood barriers were strategically positioned in municipalities to be deployed at a moment’s notice to protect people and property in flood-prone areas across the province. An additional 1,500 flood-tube barriers were purchased since last year, representing a $2-million investment.
The tubes, which span about 46,000 metres, will be deployed to New Orleans where they will be used along the Gulf of Mexico between Louisiana and Florida to protect the shoreline from oil.
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