[StBernard] N.O. port bill sails through the House

[Westley Annis]

N.O. port bill sails through the House
Plan OKs expansion into Plaquemines Friday, June 06, 2008By Ed Anderson
BATON ROUGE -- The Port of New Orleans nudged a little closer to having the
ability to expand into Plaquemines Parish Thursday after the House gave 98-0
approval to a bill that would allow it to develop wharves and other
facilities closer to the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

House Bill 1388 by Rep. Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, now heads to the Senate for
debate. 

Tucker called the measure "an incredibly important economic development
bill" for the New Orleans area and could help the port snag more maritime
traffic to keep pace with neighboring states that have expanded or are now
expanding their ports. 

The port now has jurisdiction in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes
but not in Plaquemines where it is eyeing expansion. 

Tucker said a major feature of the bill allows the Plaquemines Parish
Council to veto any project the port may propose if it feels it is not in
the best interest of the parish. "This will allow the Port of New Orleans to
work cooperatively with Plaquemines Parish," he said. 

The bill will expand the size of the Dock Board, the state agency that
operates the port, from seven to nine members by giving Plaquemines Parish
two seats on the agency. His bill stripped language added in a House
committee that gave St. Bernard Parish a second seat on the board. 

As the bill goes to the Senate, Plaquemines would have two seats and the
other parishes would keep the seats they now have: four for Orleans Parish,
two for Jefferson and one for St. Bernard. 

Earlier Thursday, the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and
Public Works gave unanimous approval to a measure by Sen. A.G. Crowe,
R-Slidell, to create the Louisiana International Deep Water Gulf Transfer
Terminal Authority, a 10-member body that would proceed with plans to
develop a containerized cargo transfer facility at lower end of the east
bank of Southwest Pass in Plaquemines Parish. 

Senate Bill 780 now goes to the full Senate for debate. 

Crowe said the authority would be a state agency but construction and
development of the facility would be privately funded. He said a Chinese
investor has indicated it is interested in pledging $1 billion to the
project. 

Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth, told Crowe he should spell out a more
precise location for the proposed terminal and limit its size to a specific
acreage. He also suggested to Crowe that the state agency that operates the
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, an offshore oil transfer facility, may be
brought into the discussion and possibly run the terminal Crowe is
proposing. Crowe said he would check into those two suggestions. 

Crowe amended the bill to take out any authority the terminal board would
have to expropriate land. 

. . . . . . . 

Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson at timespicayune.com or (225) 342-5810.