Candidates in the fast-approaching election for New Orleans mayor shared plans Tuesday to tackle some of the city’s most pressing environmental challenges, including stormwater management, coastal restoration and saltwater intrusion.

The forum at the University of New Orleans struck a congenial tone compared to recent debates, as the candidates mostly agreed on water and coastal issues.

The forum came at a critical time in the runup to the Oct. 11 primary, four days into early voting and hours after a the results of a new poll were released. The latest data shows City Council vice president Helena Moreno hovering around the 50% threshold needed to win the race outright in the primary.

Meanwhile, Louisiana state senator Royce Duplessis and New Orleans city council member Oliver Thomas are vying to cut into Moreno’s double-digit lead and force a Nov. 15 runoff. The poll published Tuesday conducted by UNO’s Survey Research Center shows Duplessis earning 15% support and Thomas 13% support.

‘Not a workable system’

The three leading candidates in the race all emphasized their plans for regional cooperation on water quality risks. Moreno and Thomas offered similar ideas for a shared water plant for multiple coastal parishes as a safeguard against saltwater intrusion threatening the drinking supply. Duplessis, too, said that these water-related hazards “don’t know parish boundaries.”

Drainage and stormwater issues were another recurring topic during the two-hour forum, with Moreno calling for “more local control” of the embattled Sewerage and Water Board and a stormwater management fee with funding directed to a separate agency. New Orleans residents have long mounted criticism against the agency over billing errors and street flooding, especially in recent years as catch basin cleaning has failed to match the system’s needs. 

“It’s a mess and it’s not a workable governance system,” Moreno said.

Candidates also lamented the loss of Louisiana’s biggest-ever coastal restoration project, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The state officially canceled the $3 billion project earlier this summer, following a months-long suspension and opposition from Gov. Jeff Landry. Coastal advocates argued that the large-scale diversion was needed to meet Louisiana’s land loss crisis, but government officials said the ballooning costs were too great. The commercial fishing industry also strongly opposed it due to the damage it would cause to their businesses.

In response, Duplessis called for collaboration with state officials in Baton Rouge and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “to continue to make the case” for “what’s necessary to restore the coast.” Moreno said that “the future of the city depends on this critical project.” 

Broad agreement

Responding to a question submitted online by a resident, Thomas and Duplessis denounced the controversial plan to replace the lock on the Industrial Canal. The project has garnered fierce opposition from residents in the Bywater, Lower Ninth Ward and Holy Cross areas, who say the $4.7 billion plan will bring environmental disruption and displacement, among other concerns. Thomas said as mayor, he would want to “talk about a more viable option” other than the lock.

Duplessis came out more forcefully against the project and said the lock expansion was something he “cannot support.”

Frank Janusa, the lone Republican on the ballot, stressed that his party affiliation with Landry and President Donald Trump could help the city secure state and federal funding. The fourth candidate speaking at the forum, Janusa polled above 5% in a recent FOX8 poll. 

Janusa, Thomas and Duplessis all answered “yes” on a series of rapid-fire questions, which included committing to furthering the city’s climate goals, addressing the city’s sinking land, reducing upstream pollution in the Mississippi River and meeting regularly with environmental experts. (Moreno left the forum mid-way due to another commitment, but said she would share her responses on her campaign website; Duplessis arrived late due to another commitment.)

“We all agree on these issues, but we’re not executing them,” Duplessis said. “And we’re not executing on them because we don’t have the right leadership.”

Adding to the rapid-fire questions, Thomas noted the inequities in the city’s flood risks, pointing to a history of racism that clustered Black residents in the lowest-lying neighborhoods and urging much more advanced hurricane protections.

The Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy organized the forum alongside a host of environmental groups, including the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the Urban Conservancy, the Water Collaborative and Restore the Mississippi River Delta. The event was moderated by Mike Smith, reporter at The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, and Robert Collins, professor of urban studies and public policy at Dillard University.

Early voting polls will be open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 4. To find your polling location, go to geauxvote.com.