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Gulf oil spill: Sand berms approved by federal officials

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday approved a permit for Louisiana’s plan to build 45 miles of sand berms on a number of barrier islands in an effort to prevent oil from reaching the state’s sensitive marshes and wetlands.

The agency approved only a small portion of the state’s proposed dredging project, citing a host of environmental and practical reasons, including questions as to whether the unprecedented reconfiguring of the coast could be accomplished in a reasonable time frame.

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Local and state officials, including Gov. Bobby Jindal, have been campaigning for the right to protect the Louisiana coast, already ailing from storm damage and wetlands loss.

The projects still require additional approval and review, which could take a week or more.

--Julie Cart

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