The Westwego City Council gave a green light to Blackwater Midstream LLC's expansion.
For the second time in as many months, Westwego's City Council voted Monday to approve Blackwater Midstream LLC's expansion request, after a discussion on the topic devolved into a debate over whether councilmen are required to approve every product the company stores at the liquid chemical storage terminal. If anything, the discussion showed that although they're required to approve what Blackwater keeps at River Road site, the City Council members do not appear to know specifically what the company stores in the 46 storage tanks at the 26-acre terminal along the Mississippi River.
"The (Westwego) Fire Department obviously knows what's in there, and they on a regular basis monitor what's stored there," Mayor Johnny Shaddinger said Monday night after a special meeting that was dominated by Blackwater's request.
The City Council last month approved Blackwater's request to add two storage tanks, totaling 4 million gallons of capacity, holding unspecified, nonflammable, non-combustible liquids. Monday night's 4-1 vote, initiated by Councilman Glenn Green, authorizes the city to give Blackwater a building permit for the two tanks. But, Green said, Blackwater can't fill them without the City Council approving, he said.
"I think we should let them build," Green said in urging councilmen to approve the request. "Before they're finished building those tanks, we'll know what they want to put in them."
Blackwater's chief commercial officer, Frank Marrocco, said the company is in a "Catch 22" dilemma, because it cannot enter into a storage contract with an outside company until it knows what it is allowed to store. "We have no intention to store combustible or flammable products in these new tanks," he told the council.
Westwego's building inspector Les "Skip" Lombas raised questions in the permitting process. He conceded he understands building codes for structures such as homes, but not for chemical storage tanks. So he sought input from the parish and Westwego Fire Chief Charles Hudson. Storage tank construction regulations are largely based on what's stored in them, dictating things such as the minimum space between them.
That led to questions over what Blackwater stores at the terminal and different guidelines that govern how projects are classified and as such handled. The U.S. Department of Transportation has its guidelines, and the National Fire Prevention Association has its guidelines, officials say. Blackwater follows the transportation department guidelines, while the Westwego Fire Department follows the association's, officials indicated.
In either case, according to Westwego's hazardous materials ordinance, the City Council is required to approve the products Blackwater stores. Yet, according to Shaddinger and Councilman Larry Warino, the council has never approved the products. Marrocco said the council has, in authorizing a special-use permit in 2009.
"You've never come to us for special approval," Warino told Marrocco. "The ordinance says you have to come before the council for approval,"
Marrocco replied that Blackwater views the products it stores as nonhazardous. "We've never taken one step without notifying the fire department first," he said.
Warino cast the lone dissenting vote against authorizing Blackwater's plans. Councilmen Johnny Nobles, Norman Fonseca and Garrison "Gary" Toups joined Green in approving the plans.
Blackwater's expansion plans have been sent to the State Fire Marshal for review, officials said. If the Fire Marshal approves, Blackwater would want to move forward, Marrocco said.
In other action, the City Council:
- Authorized Shaddinger to seek prices on a generator for the city's Ernest J. Tassin Senior Center. Shaddinger was authorized to spend up to $20,000 on a generator, although he said he does not anticipate one would cost that much. Green said he would consider contributing $5,000 from his discretionary fund to pay for the generator. Shaddinger said the generator would provide power to the center to prevent refrigerated food from spoiling and also to provide a cool place for seniors during outages, including those following hurricanes. That raised concerns by Toups, who said he worried the center would be viewed as an evacuation site - it will not be. "I'm hoping that they evacuate, too, but you know how it goes," Toups said.
- Selected Ceres Environmental as the firm Westwego would call upon to pick up storm debris following hurricanes. City Accountant Jim Butler, who suggested the city select a contractor, said the contract, which costs the city nothing, is good through December. The city received four bids for the work. Shaddinger said that selecting a contractor now means FEMA will reimburse the city at a greater amount, as opposed to waiting until a hurricane and then seeking a contractor.
- Agreed to send to the state facilities planning office the city's plans to make recommendations on bidders for improvements to Catfish Bourgeois Park. Shaddinger said the improvements include new concrete work, costing about $22,000, and electrical improvements, including lights, at about $32,500. Shaddinger said the city also plans new playground equipment at Catfish Bourgeois Park. The city has $940,000 in unrestricted funds for park improvements, the mayor said.
- Heard Shaddinger announce the city has acquired land on Klein Street, across from a public housing development, on which a neighborhood park will be built. Shaddinger said the city acquired the property, about 150' wide and 200' deep, for $52,000, including the vacant apartments set on it. Green, who has worked on the project, plans to name it for Stanley Christian and Joseph Jones, deceased, longtime Westwego playground coaches and referees.