ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. — The Port of New Orleans has purchased an 1,100-acre plot of land on the Mississippi River in Violet.
Port NOLA cut a deal with the Port of St. Bernard to build a giant shipping container facility on the site called the Louisiana International Terminal.
Parish leaders say not so fast.
“Port NOLA simply does not have jurisdiction to operate a shipping container facility in St. Bernard Parish,” St. Bernard District Attorney Perry Nicosia said.
Friday, Nicosia filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parish asking a judge to stop Port NOLA from building the 1.8-billion-dollar facility.
He argues that the agreement between the two port commissions granting Port NOLA permission to operate the container facility is illegal.
“A political subdivision of the state of Louisiana is the St. Bernard Port Authority,” Nicosia said. “That political subdivision cannot contractually give away its jurisdiction.”
The citizens group SOS, Save our St. Bernard, led by attorney Sidney Torres III says not only are there jurisdictional issues with the proposed shipping facility, it’s also not a good fit for the parish.
“They’re proposing to put a 1000-acre industrial development in the middle of our neighborhood,” Torres said. “It’s in the middle of our parish. That would be totally devastating to our community.”
Joe Addis Sr. who lives about a block away from the proposed site, disagrees.
It should be a good fit for the community. It should bring in more jobs and more benefits for this small community.
Friday, St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis declined to talk about any environmental or other concerns about the project.
“This petition stands alone,” McInnis said. “This has nothing to do about any activity or port activity on the river. It’s about who has jurisdiction.”
In a statement, Port NOLA CEO Brandy Christian called the St. Bernard lawsuit “preposterous” and “election year theatrics.”
She added, a new container terminal is needed downriver to secure the future of Louisiana’s trade-based economy.