Offshore Terminaling not limited

 

Offshore future expansion would not have limits, as would a port on land in St. Bernard Parish. It would be a mistake to build the new port as a small additional port only 10 miles from the current Port of New Orleans. Its long-term future port infrastructure expansion would be very limited by the lack of ample land and river space.

There is not enough surrounding land for long-term growth to accommodate the expected growth in container shipping. Imagine 10 or 15 of the larger container ships now under construction trying to go up and down the mouth of the river at the same time. Think how these would block the river for other traffic when they are turning around to go downstream.

DAVID RUBENSTEIN

merchant New Orleans

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/letters/article_5d5a9038-627f-11ec-9e2a-fff5a728225c.html

Lagarde Laurent Legacy

 

Lagarde Laurent Legacy 

Just like our historical Pakenham Oaks and Jackson Avenue Oaks in Chalmette and the Docville Farm’s Oak Tree Tunnel in Meraux, so too the live oak trees along Judge Perez Drive are deeply rooted in our culture and worthy of preservation and protection. The majority of these particular trees are over 40 years of age, being planted when our parish laid ground for future residential growth in Meraux, Violet, Poydras and down, cutting through Good Children’s street, renamed Judge Perez Drive– and more recently renamed after Judge Melvyn Perez.

Each live oak tree gracing Judge Perez Drive was originally planted by residents who adopted a tree, even naming the young seedlings. The selfless work of the Laurent and Lagarde families initialized our neutral ground treasures. “Elenora Zamora Lagarde Laurent served as president of St Bernard Business & Professional Women's Club from 1978-79, choosing as her project the planting of 450 oak trees'' up and down the neutral ground from Arabi to Violet'; the seedlings were planted by Elenora and her husband, Roy, and many volunteers.

After the failure of the federal levees in 2005, several residents and neighborhood associations used donations and grants to replace lost trees and add new ones, planting over 120 live oak trees on the medians. In both projects, residents made a very personal commitment to the future of our parish, to adopt a tree and water and care for the trees.

Our understanding of Elenora and Roy’s Legacy is the Laurent and Lagarde families lovingly provided transplanted young trees and seedlings from their own private properties in eastern St Bernard. The Lagarde Laurent project included a book – listing the name given to each tree and the residents who adopted, named, and cared for the trees. These trees were not planted in vain. By the year 2030, the majority of the trees will be 50 years young and should be preserved and nurtured for at least another 150 years.

“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”

Study the Infrastructure FIRST

 

paraphrase St Bernard Parish Councilmember

anybody who's worked on a port knows the amount of traffic that exists for a port

and anyone who's worked on a port knowns the congestion that exists on a port

and recognizing that there was going to be a very strong - to put it lightly - push to bring this complex to St Bernard Parish

the first thing said [to the port of New Orleans] was we don't have the infrastructure to support this

we don't even have near the infrastructure to support this

and the council member asked the port for a very specific piece of infrastructure if the port was even going to consider it

The port was told they needed to create "Florida Avenue" with road and rail all the way from Florida Avenue (in New Orleans Ninth Ward) to the back side of the proposed project (in Violet, St Bernard Parish) if this was even going to be a consideration by the council member

And there's a good reason for that

Because the rail roads in St Bernard Parish go through our neighborhoods

So the homes that people buy, the rail roads and the trains go right next door to the houses, rattle the homes when the trains pass at night

And if you think we have rail traffic now, the magnitude upon which the port is talking about bringing to St Bernard Parish and the size of this container terminal would be laughable

Your talking about absolute gridlock crossing our highways

Gridlock through our neighborhoods

You would never be able to sleep (and we don't sleep now)

And that's just with the current rail traffic that we have now

And I respect the business opinion that I'm assuming some of the people (attending the council meeting) here that are in support of the port are going to speak about

With that said, this would be an absolute tragedy if it were built as is 

And I asked the port to go into the environmental study first on the infrastructure

First !

Don't buy the property first, don't do the other environmental first, don't rail road it down our throats first

Go to infrastructure first

That's not what has happened here

The port of New Orleans has done everything in opposition here from what the council member asked

Which means 

--- in some's opinion could be a great amenity and potential economic catalyst in St Bernard Parish

but for this council member 

 -- It would be a great detriment because we do not -- contrary to what the port says -- have the infrastructure to support this

Not even close

Elementary School proximity to highways and industrial facilities

 
Relocation of  Elementary School 

The State of Louisiana should reject the International Terminaling option proposed by the Port of New Orleans based on the educational consequences alone. Regional and local planners should review environmental effects on health and education and reject placing industrial facilities near elementary or any other schools; likewise, schools should not be relocated in close proximity to highways and industrial facilities. The PONO proposal changes Judge Melvyn Perez Drive to a dangerous, congested highway. Relocating historical William Smith Junior Elementary School and the deliberate siting of an elementary school [1] onto such a highway within such close proximity to a mega industrial complex would be a regressive decision that greatly interferes with the quality of education for the children of Violet. 

"Children with consistent exposure to air pollution have increased asthma, chronic respiratory problems, and neurobehavioral dysfunction. However, many schools are located in close proximity to highways and industrial facilities which are key sources of air pollution to children." [2]

The proposed project drastically changes the educational environment from a peaceful, quiet setting, surrounded by forested natural habitats to a heavily industrialized wasteland; future expansion of the proposed project may propose yet another relocation and possibly affect the lower teacher to student ratio now provided for our school children in Violet. Lower homeowner values and lower number of residential properties in the district would generate less ad valorem taxes for education (a tax the proposed project and its tenants are exempt from). The applicant’s proposed relocation would not be an improvement; it would only serve self interests and jeopardize the students’ futures. That is clearly a ‘most unreasonable balance’. 

https://www.sbpsb.org/smith 

W. Smith Jr. Elementary School – Home of the Super Stars – formerly Violet Consolidated High School and it's Donald "Doc" Moore Gymnasium were renovated with ‘FEMA’ funds after the levees failed in 2005. Smith Elementary enrollment is 95% African American, and the students have achieved overall test scores in the top 50% of all schools in Louisiana, with 70 - 74% students achieving proficiency in math (the Louisiana state average is 64%) and 60 - 64% students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts (the Louisiana state average is 70%). These students are ‘Super Stars’, they are our future and have much to be proud of; their education should not be interrupted by industrial complexes which could be sited elsewhere.

[1] Proposed removal of historical Will Smith Jr Elementary and proposed relocation sites

[2] Proximity of public schools to major highways and industrial facilities, and students’ school performance and health hazards
Byoung-Suk Kweon, Paul Mohai, Byoung-Suk Kweon, Paul Mohai, Sangyun Lee,  

Amy M Sametshaw

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265813516673060

Air pollution from ports

 

Save Our St. Bernard

c0fica897n20ie7gh1  · 

The massive container terminal, known as LIT [State of Louisiana International Terminaling ], is poised to destroy hundreds of acres of wetland, damage marine wildlife by continuous dredging of the Mississippi, and cause irreversible air pollution. Not convinced? “[J]ust one of these container ships…can produce the same amount of pollution as 50 million cars…The aftermath of this pollution could result in acid rain, changing the composition of rivers and lakes, killing aquatic species and seeping into soil in such a way that critical microorganisms die off, and tipping ecosystems out of balance.” -iNews

Let them know you won't stand by while they destroy our home! The public comment period ends on February 24th! Here’s how to make your voice heard: https://sostbernard.org/submit-public-comment-before-feb-24/

Send letters or emails to the following and Reference the application numbers:  

            Angelle Greer, Project Manager, United States Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District Regulatory Division (REG-E), 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans LA, 70118.  Application Number: MVM-2021-00270-EG     angelle.v.greer@army.usace.mil

            Elizabeth Hill, Project Manager, State of Louisiana, Department of Environmental Quality, ATTN: Water Quality Certifications, P.O. Box 4314, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4314  Application Number: WCQ210133-01  eilizabeth.hill@la.gov 

If you value your home ACT NOW  https://sostbernard.org/if-you-value-your-home-act-now/

https://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2022/02/port-of-new-orleans-application.html

cabinet level deq 1983

Pity the poor chickens 

WWL TV --1024 N. Rampart St.

New Orleans La.
Feb. 1, 1983 Phil Johnson

February 1, 1983

It is good and It is about time . The announcement yesterday that Louisiana will finally get a full-blown, cabinet level department to deal with our environment. Or, to quote Governor Treen: "The time has come for us to focus on our environmental problems." Actually, that time came many years ago. But this is not the time to quibble. Let us be thankful that someone finally had the good sense to realize that we are threatening to kill ourselves because we are neglecting to take proper care of our environment. The announcement means that a new Department of Environmental Protection will be formed and funded -if the Legislature approves. And it is difficult to see how our lawmakers cannot approve. This new department would take environmental affairs away from the Department of Natural Resources. It always seemed such an obvious conflict of interest. The Department of Natural Resources is run by people from the oil and gas industry, in the interests of the oil and gas Industry. To have them also monitor our environment is like hiring a fox to be watchman for the chicken coop. Pity the poor chickens. The proposal for a Department of Environmental Pro-tection and protection is the key word here -is good news indeed. We look forward to its approval and its operation.

Port of New Orleans application

 

PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION 
AND PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY

Comment Deadline February 23 2022

Application received by USACE MVN 2021 00270 EG

Comment Deadline February 23 2022

REFERENCE ALL COMMENTS 
Permit Application Number MVN 2021 00270 EG
WQC Application Number WQC 210113-01 

email angelle.v.greer@usace.army.mil

CC:  elizabeth.hill@la.gov

or Mail comments to

United States Army

Corps of Engineers

New Orleans District

Regulatory Division (REG-E)

7400 Leake Avenue

New Orleans, LA  70118

ATTN Angelle Greer

Project Manager

Permit Number MVN 2021 00270 EG

CC:  State of Louisiana 

Department of Environmental Quality

Water Quality Certifications

P O Box 4313

Baton Rouge, LA  70821-4313

ATTN Elizabeth Hill

Application Number WQC 210113-01 

Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing.

No-to-pono-is-not-no-to-growth

port-of-new-orleans-proposal

The Dark Side of the Coming Infrastructure Boom

By Jeanne Nathan, Crosstown Conversations N.E.W.S.

.

Louisiana and our nation can move forward into post-Panamax shipping without economic injustice and environmental racism. 

The people of St Bernard Parish should decide not an appointed port authority.

Residents want a vote on the land use decision and a vote on a renewal of the port property tax or restriction of use of the port property tax revenues to the existing Arabi port site; especially if residents are paying the port property tax to finance the destruction of their own community. 

Interested parties are hereby notified that a permit application has been received by the New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to: [X] Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of March 3, 1899 (30 Stat. 1151; 33 USC 403); and [X] Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (86 Stat. 816; 33 USC 1344); and [X] Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. Section 408).

Application has also been made to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Certifications, for a Water Quality Certification (WQC) in accordance with statutory authority contained in LRS30:2047 A(3), and provisions of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (P.L.95-17).

WHARF AND COMMERCIAL TERMINAL ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN ST. BERNARD PARISH 

NAME OF APPLICANT: Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, Attn: Chris Gilmore, 1350 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130

State regulators left public in the dark

State regulators left the public in the dark for weeks after a major diesel fuel spill near New Orleans. The spill came from a pipeline owned by a company the state had just granted a permit to a nearby project 

https://www.desmog.com/2022/02/04/diesel-spill-louisana-pollution-collins-pipeline-pbf-chalmette/

Julie Dermansky

onFeb 4, 2022 @ 11:00 PST

lack of transparency diminishes any chance for public accountability and oversight

“The public has no access to the inspection data and is expected to trust the operator’s evaluation of what the data says about the pipe’s integrity,” Caram wrote to DeSmog. “The operator can look at the data and conveniently reclassify it between categories of need for repair.” This turn of events led him to wonder, “Where is the accountability?” 

Bayou Bienvenue Contaminated