Cameron County's hopes for levee-fence dampened but not destroyed

Cameron County is again planning to pursue its proposed alternative to the border fence now that officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security say the agency might not meet its Dec. 31 deadline for completing the barrier.

But with three contracts worth a total of $37 million already awarded in Cameron County, prospects for the alternative look increasingly bleak.

Last month, Homeland Security denied Cameron County's request to mirror Hidalgo County's levee-wall project, which combines construction of a border security barrier with critical improvements to the levee system.

County Judge Carlos H. Cascos has asked his staff to contact Homeland Security to determine if the county can resubmit its proposal, even though bids on the fence have already been awarded.

"I think the biggest obstacle was the time frame," Cascos said. "They've already awarded the contracts, but maybe they can amend the contracts to include the levees. ...

"Until that first slab of concrete is laid, I'm going to have hope that they will look at our project."

But Homeland Security has moved ahead with its plans to construct 37 miles of fencing in Cameron County, most of which would take the form of a 15- to 18-foot-tall steel barrier.

"We already have contracts, and these contracts are for a very specific kind of fence," department spokeswoman Angela de Rocha said.

Three contracts for construction of some 7.6 miles of fencing in Bluetown, Los Indios, El Calaboz and La Paloma were awarded earlier this week. Homeland Security has not yet announced when construction will begin in the county.

Last month, the department rejected the county's border fence-levee project and stated the county's proposal wasn't feasible and would be much more costly than anticipated.

A letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Cascos states the "key factors" in reaching the conclusion pertain to the cost and coordination with the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is working on levee improvements in the Cameron County area.

Comprised of a U.S. Section and a Mexican Section, the IBWC is responsible for coming up with bi-national solutions to issues that arise during the application of treaties between the United States and Mexico regarding flood control and other issues in the border region. The U.S. Section is a federal government agency and is responsible for maintaining the flood control system in the Valley.

Cameron County had hoped a memorandum of understanding the county and IBWC signed in August would steer the county closer to getting federal approval for its proposed border fence-levee project.

Now that the alternative's future appears doubtful, the more pressing question is how Homeland Security will reconcile its current legal holdups over land acquisition with its ambitious construction plans.

Nearly 100 Rio Grande Valley residents are refusing to sell their property to the federal government. To circumvent the current stalemate, officials say, Homeland Security could begin construction on the properties it owns while waiting for contested cases to be resolved.