WHAT WE REPORTED The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in late October released a feasibility study of constructing a multi billion-dollar Texas coastal barrier that would stretch 76 miles along Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. The barrier, which could take 10-50 years to build if approved by Congress in 2021, would help protect the coast, including the Bay Area and oil companies, from damage during catastrophic storms. THE LATEST Other groups have all recently released coastal studies of their own. The Army Corps will work with these groups to see what parts they can borrow to improve their plan, Army Corps project manager Kelly Burks-Copes said. Early next year the Army Corps and the GLO will bring in officials that have successfully implemented storm-surge barriers in other countries to assess the Texas coastal barrier plan.