Rebuilding levees to protect New Orleans will be much more costly than anticipated, and there may not be sufficient funds to protect all areas in the region, the US administration has said according to dpa. The cost for rebuilding the New Orleans levees is now expected to total 10 billion dollars, Donald Powell, tasked with overseeing reconstruction in the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina, said Thursday, The Washington Post reported Friday. Powell, appointed by President George W. Bush to oversee the rebuilding of the US Gulf Coast, said lawmakers are "faced with some new and tough policy decisions." Due to the cost, Powell said some areas of New Orleans may not be fully protected after reconstruction, sparking strong criticism from local and state lawmakers. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said it is "unacceptable" that some areas of her state would not even be guaranteed "minimum safety." In December, the Bush administration had put the cost of rebuilding the levees at 3.1 billion dollars. Not rebuilding the levees in some parts of New Orleans would likely stifle rebuilding and growth there, as buildings would not be able to be insured. US President George W. Bush had pledged to rebuild all of New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August. ---SP 20 51 Local Time 17 51 GMT
