Feds give La. more time for levee repayment NEW ORLEANS (AP) (wrkf) - The federal government has agreed to give Louisiana 30 years to repay 1.8 billion dollars for levee improvements in the New Orleans area.

Congress had initially said the money would need to be repaid by 2011. But state officials said they needed 30 to avoid hurting efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.

The announcement came after a meeting between Governor Bobby Jindal and retired Major General Douglas O'Dell, President Bush's hurricane recovery chief.

Recent federal legislation required that Louisiana pay 1.8 billion dollars to trigger 5.8 billion in federal spending for levees in the New Orleans region.

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to strengthen the levee system around New Orleans by 2011. © Copyright 2009, wrkf