In all, the port has nearly $22 million in state funding for various projects
Despite tight state finances, the Port of South Louisiana has gotten funding from the Legislature to move ahead with a runway extension at the St. John the Baptist Parish airport, as well as a liquid bulk dock and a rail spur on land it purchased adjacent to the Dow Chemical plant in St. Charles Parish.
In all, the Port of South Louisiana has nearly $22 million in state funding for various projectsThe rail spur, connected to the Union Pacific railroad in Taft, would be able to hold about 240 rail cars for area industries, Port Executive Director Joel Chaisson said.
Chaisson said there is money in the $8.275 million project to purchase additional land if needed, although some members of the family that owns the adjacent property say they aren't interested in selling.
"We are interested in buying," Chaisson said.
Also planned is a liquid bulk dock on the river on the same tract as the rail spur, which the port purchased in 2009.
Chaisson said the $6.5 million needed for the project is not yet available, but the port will borrow money using the appropriation as collateral to get the project started.
He said the port hopes to go out for bids on the project in five or six months.
In all, the port has nearly $22 million in state funding for various projects, including upgrading the utilities and equipment at the dock at its Globalplex facility and adding a conveyor belt system to a 100,000-square-foot bulk cargo warehouse at the port-owned terminal.
The bulk of the port's funding originally was earmarked in 2009 to build a dock for Southern Recycling in St. Charles Parish. The company, whose business includes cutting up old marine vessels for scrap, purchased land just upriver from the Killona community in St. Charles Parish after its New Orleans ship-breaking operation was curtailed because of the closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
Chaisson said the company hasn't moved forward on the project.
"We were fortunate to be able to hang onto the money," Chaisson said. "Our legislative delegation really got the job done for us."
The delegation includes Chaisson's son, state Senate President Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan.
"I think it was a major coup for us," Sen. Chaisson said. "It was important to do so, especially since the project wasn't going forward."
An additional $1.65 million is earmarked for a connection between the Kansas City Southern and Canadian National railroad tracks, allowing shippers at the port to choose which line to use. And $1.35 million more is needed to complete the project, but the senior Chaisson said he is confident that the port will be able to finish the job.
Additionally, $8.7 million has been earmarked for a liquid petroleum dock in St. James Parish through the port, whose territory encompasses 54 miles of the Mississippi River in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes. The dock will be part of a proposed tank farm being built by private investors. The port would build the dock and lease it back to the company. The funding is in state priority categories 3 and 4, meaning that it will be eligible for funding in future years.
Chaisson said the port is moving ahead with planned projects.
The airport project involves extending the single 4,000-foot runway an additional 1,200 feet, expanding the apron and taxiways. The longer runway would allow more corporate jets to land at the airport, increasing revenue from fuel sales. Chaisson told the Port Commission last month that the plan would avoid encroaching into wetlands north of the airport, significantly reducing the cost of the project by avoiding extensive wetland mitigation.
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Matt Scallan can be reached at mscallan@timespicayune.com or 985.652.0953.