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[I. Brief Introductions]
CAN HAVE Y'ALL ATTENTION.IT IS FIVE O'CLOCK JUNE 21ST, 2023, AND WE'RE AT THE JOSEPH Y BUILDING IN ELMWOOD, LOUISIANA.
THIS IS A PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING ON THE PROPOSED DRAFT NUMBER TWO OF THE PROPOSED JEFFERSON PARISH INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS.
I'M COUNCIL MEDINO BONANO WITH JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO, THAT'S OUR PLANNING STAFF, AND ARISSA, SHE'S OUR CONSULTANT ON THIS MATTER.
UM, THE WAY THE FORMAT'S GONNA WORK TONIGHT IS ISSA'S GONNA GIVE YOU A, A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
KEEP IN MIND THIS IS NOT A DEBATE, THIS IS A COMMENT PERIOD FOR YOU TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS.
AND THEN THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD IS WE'LL TAKE BACK OVER THE NEXT 30 WE HAVE RIGHT NOW SET JU JULY 31ST.
THE COMMENT, THE END OF THE COMMENT PERIOD ARREST WILL GO OVER THAT, BUT FROM HERE WE'LL TAKE BACK AND A DRAFT, A FINAL, OR HOPEFULLY A FINAL VERSION THREE OF THE, OF THESE, UH, DRAFT REGULATIONS.
[II. Presentation ]
THAT, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TOTA WITH CAMEROS TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE US OUR PRESENTATION.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
UM, I, IF YOU WERE AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT, THIS IS GONNA BE VERY FAMILIAR TO YOU.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE'RE JUST GONNA WALK THROUGH KIND OF WHAT THIS SECOND DRAFT IS, HOW WE GOT HERE, AND KIND OF SOME OF THE NEW REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE.
UM, SO JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT.
WE STARTED THIS BACK IN 2021, UH, REALLY STARTING TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN CHAPTER 40.
SORRY, SORRY, I, YOU HEAR ME? I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE WE DO HAVE A, ANOTHER COUNCILMAN HERE WITH US.
COUNCILMAN UH, DOMINIC SDO WITH DISTRICT FOUR.
WILL THAT GIVE ME A CHANCE TO DRINK SOME WATER? SO, UM, SO THIS STARTED BACK IN 2021.
WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE CURRENT ZONING REGULATIONS IN CHAPTER 40, UH, WHICH DATE BACK OVER 50 YEARS.
THEY DON'T REALLY ADDRESS KINDA MODERN INDUSTRIAL USES.
THE, THE STANDARDS MAY NOT RELATE TO WHAT THE ON THE GROUND CONDITIONS ARE.
SO WE STARTED THAT STUDY FIRST, DOING THE FRAMEWORK REPORT, SAYING HOW WE WERE PROPOSING TO UPDATE THE ORDINANCES.
UM, IN PHASE TWO, WE DRAFTED THE PROPOSED DISTRICTS THAT WAS DRAFT ONE.
IT'S STILL AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
UH, THAT WAS THE FIRST CUT AT THESE NEW INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS.
AND WE'RE BACK HERE TONIGHT WITH DRAFT TWO.
IF YOU PULL DOWN THE DOCUMENT, YOU CAN SEE IT'S DONE IN RED LINE.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE BETWEEN DRAFT ONE AND DRAFT TWO.
UM, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF KIND OF PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS ON THIS.
THIS PROJECT AS A WHOLE, UM, BEGAN WITH SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WEST BANK PORT DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE.
WE DID SOME IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS.
WE DID SOME VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS BY ZOOM.
UM, JUST TALKING TO VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, EVERYBODY FROM, UH, PERSONS IN THE INDUSTRY TO INTERESTED RESIDENTS, UH, REALLY GETTING A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES.
UM, IT'S REALLY ABOUT 80 STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE, UH, KIND OF CUMULATIVE IN THAT GROUP.
UH, WHEN WE DID THE FRAMEWORK REPORT THE STUDY, WE HELD TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS IN FEBRUARY OF 2022 THAT TALKED ABOUT THE DIRECTIONS WE WERE GOING TO GO.
AND THEN WE HOSTED, UM, REVIEW MEETINGS OF THE DRAFT ONE REGULATIONS, AND THAT WAS IN NOVEMBER, 2022.
UH, SO WE'VE TAKEN THE COMMONS THAT WE'VE HEARD SINCE THAT NOVEMBER, UM, KIND OF DIGESTED THEM, LOOKED AT THEM, AND NOW YOU SEE BEFORE YOU DRAFT TWO PROPOSED REVISIONS, UH, TO THE ZONING REGULATIONS PRESENTED BACK IN NOVEMBER.
A QUICK REFRESHER, UH, THE DISTRICTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
THESE ARE IN CHAPTER 40 OF ZONING.
UM, IT'S THE O O W ONE OFFICE, WAREHOUSE DISTRICT.
THEN YOU HAVE THE M ONE INDUSTRIAL, WHICH IS LIGHT INDUSTRIAL M TWO, WHICH IS MORE OF A GENERAL INDUSTRIAL, ALLOWS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
THE M THREE, WHICH IS THE HEAVIEST INDUSTRIAL AREAS AS WELL.
AND THEN FINALLY THE M FOUR, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY THE LANDFILL DISTRICT.
SO THESE ARE THE CURRENT ONES THAT ARE EXISTING.
ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS IS THE AIM OVERLAY DISTRICT FOR THE AVONDALE MARINE.
UH, WE ARE NOT MODIFYING ANYTHING IN THAT DISTRICT AS PART OF THIS STUDY, SO THAT IS KIND OF SEPARATE AND APART FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
UM, REALLY THE INTENT HERE WAS TO UPDATE THE ZONING, THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS AND BRING THEM INTO ARTICLE CHAPTER 33, WHICH IS YOUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH IS KIND OF WHERE ALL THE ZONING REGULATIONS ARE, BIT BY BIT MIGRATING TO.
UH, SO THE IDEA HERE WAS TO MODERNIZE AND UPDATE THEM, ADDRESS THE DIFFERENT LAND USES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, WORK WITH THE LAND USE STRUCTURE, THE, OR THE USE STRUCTURE THAT IS PART OF CHAPTER 33.
THE UDC, IT'S CALLED LAND-BASED CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
UM, LOOKING AT ADDING NEW STANDARDS, NEW DEFINITIONS, UH, ADDRESSING THINGS LIKE STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE ALSO AS PART OF THIS, WE DID SOME UPDATES TO THE S P U PROCESS, THE SPECIAL PERMITTED USE.
UM, IT WAS SOME UPDATES TO HOW THAT WOULD PROCEED AND WE'LL GO OVER THOSE AS WELL.
SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE BASE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
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UM, THERE IS A NEW INDUSTRIAL MIXED USE, UH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT COMBINES THINGS LIKE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TOGETHER.UH, IT'S AREAS OF TRANSITION THAT YOU SEE A LOT OF THIS IS ON THE EAST BANK.
UM, IT REALLY INCORPORATED THE FORMER OW ONE, THE OFFICE WAREHOUSE PLUS SOME OTHER AREAS WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING THAT TRANSITION START TO HAPPEN.
UM, THE IL IS THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, AND THAT IS REALLY KIND OF A TRANSLATION OF THE M ONE.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE STARTED LOOKING FOR THE BASIS OF THAT DISTRICT.
AND SIMILARLY, THE IH IS FORMERLY THE M THREE.
AGAIN, KIND OF JUST LOOKING AT THAT AS A GUIDE TO WHERE TO START DRAFTING THE NEW HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY THE M FOUR WAS TRANSLATED INTO THE I L F IS, THIS IS THE LANDFILL DISTRICT.
IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT ONE PARTICULAR USE IN, IN IN REGARDS BECAUSE THERE'S MANY KIND OF STATE AND FEDERAL AND LOCAL RULES THAT APPLY TO IT.
UM, WE DID CREATE THE NEW HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OVERLAY, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES TO THAT DISTRICT, UH, FROM DRAFT ONE.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS I SAID, THERE IS THE AVONDALE OVERLAY, BUT THAT IS NOT PART OF THE STUDY.
BUT JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THAT ONE IS ALSO OUT THERE.
UM, WE ADDED IN A NUMBER OF NEW USES.
WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT USE TABLE THAT'S IN THE DOCUMENT, YOU CAN SEE THEM.
WE'VE ADDED PERMISSIONS FOR WHERE THEY CAN LOCATE.
UM, A LOT OF THESE ARE RELATED TO THINGS LIKE THE CULINARY INDUSTRIES, UM, MICRO BREWERIES, UH, LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE ARTISAN PRODUCTION AND CRAFT MANUFACTURING.
SO REALLY BRINGING IN A NUMBER OF USES.
WHILE THAT TABLE IS PRETTY EXHAUSTIVE IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF LAND USES YOU WOULD SEE, WE STILL WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE TYPES OF USES WERE INTEGRATED INTO THAT TABLE.
AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THEM THERE IN BLUE FONT WITH NEW DEFINITIONS WHEN WE'VE ADDED NEW TERMS. UH, THEN WE'VE ALSO CREATED BULK STORAGE CATEGORIES.
AND A LOT OF THIS IS RELATED TO WHAT IS IN CHAPTER 13.
SO IN ORDER TO KIND OF WHAT QUALIFIES AS BULK STORAGE, WHAT ARE THOSE QUANTITIES WE USE THAT, THAT'S PART OF CHAPTER 13 IN THE CURRENT CODE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE HERE, IT'S GASES WITH A LIQUID CAPACITY EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 5,000 GALLONS.
UM, LIQUIDS ARE SLURRIES GREATER THAN 10,000 GALLONS OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS, UH, SALADS EQUAL OR GREATER THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS.
SO THESE ARE NOW ALIGNED, THESE TWO DIFFERENT ORDINANCES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THIS NEW, UH, INDUSTRIAL ZONING WITH THAT OF CHAPTER 13, TO DEFINE THESE QUANTITIES, UM, WE'VE ALLOWED FOR BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AS A SPECIAL PERMITTED USE IN THE H M O DISTRICT.
UM, BULK STORAGE OF CULINARY AND MEDICINAL MATERIALS WAS CALLED OUT SEPARATELY, AND THAT IS ALLOWED WITH A SPECIAL PERMIT USE IN THE, UM, IH DISTRICT, THE HEAVY INDUSTRIAL.
AND THEN, UH, KIND OF A BLANKET ALLOWANCE FOR BULK STORAGE OF NON-HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN THE THREE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT, THE CHANGES FROM DRAFT ONE TO DRAFT TWO, WE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BIG ONES THAT WERE MADE.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INDUSTRIAL MIXED USE, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, IT'S A VARIETY OF USES THAT ARE IN THERE.
UM, IT'S REALLY COMBINING COMMERCIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO CREATE THIS KIND OF UNIQUE DISTRICT THAT ADDRESSES AREAS THAT MAY BE TRANSITIONING OUT OF INDUSTRIAL PURELY INDUSTRIAL USE.
UM, GENERALLY THE STANDARDS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME.
UH, WE DID ADD SOME REVIEW CRITERIA FOR THE VARIANCE JUST TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AS TO KIND OF WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO IF YOU HAD A VARIANCE.
THE I L LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, UM, AGAIN, MUCH OF THIS IS THE SAME AS THE DISTRICT YOU SAW BEFORE.
WE DID CLARIFY HOW YOU MEASURE BUILDING HEIGHT, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, NOT A CHANGE.
SUBSTANTIVELY JUST ADDED LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE CLEAR TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT HAPPENS.
UM, AGAIN, WITH VARIANCES, WE ADDED THE REVIEW CRITERIA IN HERE AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK IN THE USE TABLE, YOU'LL SEE WE ADDED A NUMBER OF USES TO THE IL DISTRICT BECAUSE AS STAFF WAS DOING LAND USE SURVEYS AND MAPPING EXERCISES, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF USES THAT WERE IN THE IL DISTRICT AND AREAS THAT WERE GONNA KIND OF REMAIN THE IL DISTRICT.
AND WE DIDN'T WANNA CREATE A SERIES OF NONCONFORMITIES.
SO YOU'LL SEE USES ADDED INTO THE IL DISTRICT.
UH, IT'S REALLY THE SAME IN THE HEAVY INDUSTRIAL.
AGAIN, THAT SAME CLARIFICATION OF BUILDING HEIGHT, IT KIND OF RUNS THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
UM, ADDED THE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR VARIANCES.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS LOOKING AT DOING LAND USE SURVEYS, LOOKING AT THE MAPS, UH, WHERE AREAS IH DONING WOULD GO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T CREATE A SERIES OF NONCONFORMITIES AGAIN.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME USES WERE ADDED INTO THE IH DISTRICT OF, UH, FINALLY THERE IS THE LANDFILL DISTRICT, UM, WHICH WORKS OFF THE CURRENT STANDARDS OF THE M FOUR DISTRICT.
UH, IT'S GOT, AGAIN, THE LIMIT THE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR VARIANCES AS PART OF IT.
THAT'S THE MAJOR ADDITION TO THE LANDFILL SECTION.
BUT FROM DRAFT ONE TO DRAFT TWO LIKE THE OTHER DISTRICTS, UM, MUCH OF IT HAS REMAINED THE SAME.
I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHEN WE KEEP MENTIONING THIS REGARDING THE BUILDING HEIGHT, THIS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT IS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE DOCUMENT SO YOU CAN SEE IT.
IT JUST TALKS ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE ABUTTING ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT IS NOT AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, HOW YOU HAVE TO SET BACK IN TERMS OF HEIGHT.
IT'S THE CURRENT STANDARD, JUST REFINED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT HOW IT'S APPLIED.
UH, THERE'S ALSO STILL, UH, PROPERTY BUFFERS AND LANDSCAPING REQUIRED.
THESE HAVE BEEN THE SAME FROM DRAFT ONE TO DRAFT TWO.
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YOU SEE THINGS THERE REGARDING BUFFER YARD DESIGN, BUFFERY YARD PLANTINGS, UH, THINGS REGARDING STREETSCAPE LANDSCAPE, UH, PARKING LOT, LANDSCAPE SCREENING.ALL OF THOSE THAT YOU SAW ON DRAFT ONE HAVE CONTINUED ON IN THE DRAFT TWO.
THIS WAS ONE SECTION WHERE WE REALLY DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING THAT WAS IN THOSE, UH, IN THOSE PROVISIONS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A, A, A STANDARD SET OF LANDSCAPING PROVISIONS.
SO JUST QUICKLY ABOUT THE USES, AGAIN, THIS IS A, THE MOVE THAT WE MADE IN DRAFT ONE WHERE WE WENT FROM CHAPTER 40 TO CHAPTER 33, WHERE YOU HAVE A USE MATRIX ALREADY IN CHAPTER 33.
WE BUILT OFF OF THAT ESSENTIALLY USING THE, THE VERY LONG LIST OF USES THAT IS IN THAT TABLE FROM THE LAND-BASED CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
UM, AND WITHIN THAT TABLE, WE ADDED A COUPLE MORE USES AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOT EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED UP TO DATE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF NEW USES, CRAFT INDUSTRIAL, UM, ARTISAN MANUFACTURING.
THOSE HAVE BEEN ADDED IN THERE AND DEFINED AS WELL, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UH, AND IT ALSO DOES CONTAIN THE STANDARDS FOR BULK STORAGE.
AND YOU SEE THAT IN THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, CULINARY AND MEDICINAL, UH, AND THEN NON-HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
UM, KIND OF AS WE SAW WHEN, UH, AS STAFF SAW WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AGAIN AT THE LAND USE SURVEYS AND THE MAPS IN SOME OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, THERE IS EXISTING RESIDENTIAL.
UM, AND WE WANTED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T MAKE THOSE NON-CONFORMING, UM, THAT THEY ARE USES THAT ARE THERE, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE PROTECTED IN A SENSE.
SO ESSENTIALLY THEY'VE BEEN DEEMED CONFORMING, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE ONES THAT ARE THERE ARE ALLOWED TO STAY.
THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED A NON-CONFORMING USE.
UM, IF THEY HAPPEN TO BECOME DAMAGED BY MORE THAN 75%, THEY CAN BE REBUILT AS THEY WERE.
SO IF I WAS SINGLE FAMILY, I REBUILT A SINGLE FAMILY AND THEY'RE SUBJECT IN TERMS OF STANDARDS TO THE R THREE, THE CURRENT R THREE DISTRICT STANDARDS.
SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A PROTECTION FOR EXISTING RESIDENTIAL IN THESE AREAS, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T KIND OF CAPTURE THOSE AND, AND PUT THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, IN A BAD SITUATION.
SO THERE IS THE BULK STORAGE DEFINITIONS.
UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW ON DRAFT ONE.
UH, USING THE CHAPTER 13, UH, LANGUAGE AGAIN ABOUT THE QUANTITIES AS I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, USING THEIR DEFINITIONS OF HAZARDOUS FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE, UM, YOU KNOW, STORAGE AND TERMINALS, STORAGE AND WAREHOUSES, STORAGE AND TOTES.
IT ALL KIND OF CUMUL CUMULATIVELY, IF YOU REACH THESE THRESHOLDS, YOU'RE HEADING INTO BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
UM, THERE IS A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS BUILT INTO THE DEFINITION.
BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
AGAIN, YOU SAW THIS IN THE FIRST DRAFT.
UM, THINGS LIKE WHEN THERE'S A RETAIL OUTLET THAT STORES MATERIALS LIKE THE HOME DEPOT THAT'S KIND OF RIGHT AROUND HERE, UM, THEY MAY EXCEED THESE THRESHOLDS AND, BUT WE DON'T CONSIDER THE PRINCIPLE USE OF THE SITE BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY FOR RETAIL USE.
UM, WE ALSO, AGAIN, I'LL TALK IN A SECOND ABOUT THE EXCEPTION FOR FOOD GRADE AND MEDICINAL.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME TYPES OF USES MAY STORE THESE NOT AS THEIR STORE IN THESE QUANTITIES, BUT IT'S NOT THEIR PRINCIPLE USE.
UM, IT IS THINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR OPERATIONS.
AND SO AS WE HAD IN THE PREVIOUS ONE, YOU HAVE THIS LIST OF USES FROM THAT TABLE, FROM THE USE TABLE THAT ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE THE MATERIALS, UM, SO LONG AS IT IS JUST ACCESSORY TO THE MAIN OPERATION OF THE USE.
SO THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE AGAIN, UH, BULK STORAGE OF CULINARY MEDICINAL MATERIALS.
THIS IS THE SBU IN THE IH DISTRICT.
UH, THERE WAS ONE REVISION IN THERE TO ADD THAT ANIMAL, UH, ANIMAL VEGETABLE AND PLANT OILS THAT ARE NOT READY FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ARE ALSO CONSIDERED ONE OF THESE WE THAT WAS POINTED OUT TO US AND WE BROUGHT THAT IN.
AND THEN IF IT'S NON-HAZARDOUS, UM, ALL THREE OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS ARE ALLOWING FOR THIS.
SO THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT HAPPENED WITHIN FROM DRAFT ONE TO DRAFT TWO WAS IN THE HMO DISTRICT.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE FIRST DRAFT, THE HMO OVERLAY, IT ESSENTIALLY JUST MEMORIALIZED WHAT IS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW AND WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR FURTHER EXPANSION ESSENTIALLY.
SO IT WAS BASICALLY KEEPING EVERYTHING WHERE IT WAS, UH, BASED UPON A LOT OF FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM ALL SIDES KIND OF BALANCING THINGS OUT.
WE DID ALLOW FOR, UH, AN ABILITY TO ACTUALLY EXPAND THESE AREAS, UM, BY ADDING A WHOLE SERIES OF KIND OF LOOKING AT INITIALLY MAPPING THEM WHERE THESE SPU ARE AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND, IT WOULD BE A MAP AMENDMENT.
WE'VE ADDED SOME STANDARDS TO THE MAP AMENDMENT, ADDED SOME STANDARDS TO HOW THOSE USES, UH, CAN OPERATE.
SO IT'S BASICALLY LOOSENED UP THE INITIAL APPROACH THAT WAS IN DRAFT ONE, WHICH BASICALLY CEMENTED THINGS WHERE THEY WERE.
AND NOW WE'RE ALLOWING FOR, UH, LIMITED EXPANSION WITH THE RIGHT TYPE OF, UM, MEANING THE RIGHT TYPE OF STANDARDS.
UM, IT'S ESSENTIALLY APPLIED OVER THE IH HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
UH, AND SO THE INTENT THERE IS REALLY JUST YOU HAVE TO BE THE IH DISTRICT AND THEN THE HMO DISTRICT CAN GO ON AND YOU'RE BASICALLY, UH, DOING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT ON THAT ONE.
UM, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WERE ADDED AS WE KIND OF LOOKED AT THIS ASPECT OF, UM, ALLOWING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPANSION.
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THE PREVIOUS DRAFT.IN DRAFT ONE, WE TALKED ABOUT AN ODOR CONTROL PLAN AND WE TALKED ABOUT A HOTLINE AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MURKY WHAT THOSE MEANT.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY WE WENT IN, UM, AND TALKING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, THAT WORKED MORE WITH THESE TYPES OF MATERIALS, UH, KINDA ADDED IN THE COMPONENTS.
SO WHAT DOES THE ODOR CONTROL PLAN NEED TO HAVE IN IT? SO THAT'S BEEN A NEW ADDITION TO A REQUIREMENT THAT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND WE CLARIFIED THE HOTLINE THAT IT GOES TO THE STATE REQUIRED EMERGENCY CONTACT.
AGAIN, THE REQUIREMENT WAS IN DRAFT ONE, WE JUST CLARIFIED WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE.
UM, THERE ARE TWO NEW, UH, STANDARDS THAT ARE IN THERE THAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
UM, THE FIRST IS THE REQUIRED SEPARATION OF STORAGE TANKS.
SO WHAT IT ESSENTIALLY SAYS, IT'S GOTTA BE 1500 FEET FROM THE LOT LINE OF ANY OTHER LOT THAT IS ZONED SOMETHING THAT IS NOT INDUSTRIAL.
SO IT'S A SEPARATION REQUIREMENT, SO IT'S GOTTA BE 1500 FEET.
UM, THERE IS THE ABILITY, IF YOU OWN THE LAND THAT'S THERE, THAT'S NEXT TO IT, THAT IS NOT INDUSTRIAL.
LIKE SAY I OWN AN R TWO PARCEL, YOU CAN USE THAT AS PART OF YOUR SEPARATION IF YOU USE THAT PARCEL FOR YOUR BUFFER.
UM, AND THE BUFFER IS STILL REQUIRED.
THE BUFFER IS A, I BELIEVE A 500 FOOT BUFFER THAT CAN GO INTO THAT 1500 FOOT SEPARATION AREA.
UM, ALSO WE ADDED SOME NEW AIR MONITORING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW FACILITIES, UM, THAT WOULD TAKE EFFECT KIND OF ON THE, THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, IF OTHER FACILITIES EXPANDED.
THE INTENT THERE WAS IS THAT THIS WOULD BE PART OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE BASICALLY STAYING AS YOU ARE, IT'S NOT A RETROACTIVE REQUIREMENT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO INSTALL THAT.
UM, THE WAY THAT IT IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED, AND THIS IS JUST THE IMAGE AGAIN, THAT SHOWS THAT KIND OF 500 FOOT BUFFER.
UM, AGAIN, THIS CAN GO IN THAT SEPARATION AREA THAT IS 1500 FEET, UM, CONTINUE TO ALLOW REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING TANKS, UM, WHETHER IT'S FOR MAINTENANCE FOR SAFETY OR THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGIES, UM, ALLOWING AN IN-KIND REPLACEMENT IF YOU DON'T INCREASE CAPACITY THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, WE ALSO DID A CLARIFICATION OF VARIANCE.
THIS SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MURKY FROM THE FIRST TIME WE CAME THROUGH.
UM, AND WE CLARIFIED IT AS AN OVERLAY.
SO IF I HAVE DISTRICTS FROM THE IH STA IH DISTRICT THAT APPLY, AND FROM THE HMO OVERLAY, I CAN APPLY FOR VARIANCE TO ANY OF THE STANDARDS OF THE IH DISTRICT THAT'S UNDERNEATH.
SO PARKING, BUILDING HEIGHT, YOU KNOW, SETBACK SIZES AND THE LIKE.
UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO INTO THE HMO, WE'VE MADE IT CLEAR NOW PEOPLE WERE ASKING, YOU CANNOT GRANT A VARIANCE FROM ANY OF THE USE STANDARDS THAT ARE TIED TO THE BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FROM THE SEPARATION REQUIREMENT.
AGAIN, THAT 1500 FOOT SEPARATION, UH, AND THE LANDSCAPE BUFFER THAT IS ALSO REQUIRED, THAT 500 FOOT PLANTED LANDSCAPE AREA.
UM, SO AS PART OF THIS, SINCE WE HAVE KIND OF LOOSENED UP ITS APPLICATION, THERE'S SOME MAP AMENDMENT STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED FOR WHEN THE HMO DISTRICT COMES UP FOR AN AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, IT HAS TO BE APPLIED OVER THE IH DISTRICT.
SO THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE KIND OF FIRST CRITERIA.
UH, WE'VE EXPANDED NOTICE AND SAID THAT NOTICE WOULD BE SENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS IN A THOUSAND FEET, UH, SURROUNDING THAT AREA.
UM, WHEN THESE THINGS ARE COMING UP, THERE SHOULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING THAT'S HELD BY THE APPLICANT PRIOR TO, UM, IT GOING TO THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD.
THIS IS ON THE APPLICANT TO HOLD THIS MEETING AND PROVIDE ALL THE KIND OF DOCUMENTATION, YOU KNOW, SIGN IN SHEETS, UH, TRANSCRIPT OF COMMENTS, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD AS PART OF THE APPLICATION JUST TO KEEP THE NEIGHBORS IN THE KNOW.
AGAIN, THAT IS A NOTICE WITHIN 1000 FEET.
UM, AND THEN AS PART OF EVALUATING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE MAP AMENDMENT, UM, WE LOOKED AT SOME ADDITIONAL STANDARDS AS PART OF THE EVALUATION OF THE AMENDMENT.
UM, THINGS REGARDING AIR POLLUTION, MINIMIZING ODORS EMISSIONS, UM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
SO JUST THINGS TO EVALUATE, PROVIDED A KIND OF ANOTHER DEGREE OF EVALUATION, UM, ON THE MAP AMENDMENT AS IT'S MOVING FORWARD.
SO THEN, AS I STATED, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DID IS WE DID LOOK AT THE SPECIAL PERMITTED USES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD VERY EARLY ON WAS THERE WAS A REAL DESIRE FOR SOME MINOR AMENDMENT STANDARDS.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDED HERE.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND THIS S P U PROCESS IS GONNA COMBINE WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE CONDITIONAL USE PROCESS, UM, IN THE UDC.
NOW WITH THE S P U, WHICH IS IN THE ZONING, THEY'RE GONNA BECOME ONE THING CALLED THE S P U, THE SPECIAL PERMITTED USE.
AND REMEMBER, THIS ISN'T JUST PARTICULAR TO THE INDUSTRIAL.
THIS APPLIES KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD, ALL ACROSS THE PARISH, WHEREVER YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PERMITTED USE.
SO JUST KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND.
IT'S KIND OF A BROADER CHANGE THAT HAPPENS.
UM, SO WE TRIED TO CLEAN THIS UP AND SO A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, UM, ONE OF THE ONE WE DID GO BACK TO NO MORE THAN ONE SPU PER LOT OR DEVELOPMENT SITE, WHICH IS THE CURRENT STANDARD RIGHT NOW EVEN FOR CPU.
UM, SO THERE IS ONLY ONE NOW GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
THE PROPOSED VISION IS IT'S GONNA STAY ONLY ONE PER UM, LOT OR DEVELOPMENT SITE.
UH, THERE WAS SOME, UH, FOLKS DID WANT SOME CLARIFICATION THAT A PROPERTY WITH AN SBU CAN BE SOLD, LEASED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED TO A NEW OWNER, SID TENANT
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OR TRANSFEREE, UM, ALLOWING THEM TO CONTINUE USE THE S P U.WE JUST MADE IT KIND OF VERY CLEAR IN THIS ASPECT.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CHANGED WAS THE PERIOD OF VALIDITY WAS INCREASED TO THREE YEARS.
SO RENEWAL WOULD COME EVERY THREE YEARS RATHER THAN EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, AGAIN, ALLOWING FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE OR TWO YEARS WHEN YOU'RE GETTING THAT S P U AND YOU NEED TO GET PERMITS SO LONG AS YOU SHOW EVIDENCE THAT YOU'RE IN PROCESS, UM, THAT YOU CAN EXTEND THAT PERIOD OF VALIDITY WHILE YOU'RE GETTING THOSE PERMITS THAT YOU NEED.
UM, ALSO AN EMERGENCY EXCEPTION, UH, FOR THINGS LIKE NATURAL DISASTERS, TEMPORARY EQUIPMENT AND STRUCTURES WOULD BE ALLOWED ON THE SITE FOR 90 DAYS.
IF YOU NEEDED TO HAVE IT LONGER THAN 90 DAYS, IT WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH A MINOR AMENDMENT PROCESS.
AND SO SPEAKING OF, UM, THE MINOR AMENDMENTS HERE, UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE WERE VERY CLEAR WHAT WOULD BE A MINOR AMENDMENT.
MANY OF THEM ARE THE SAME AS YOU SAW IN DRAFT ONE.
UM, REALLY THINGS LIKE I'M PUTTING IN LANDSCAPING OR I'M PUTTING IN PARKING, OR I'M PUTTING IN AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE, OR I'M PUTTING IN A BUILDING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE S P U, THAT THESE WOULD ALL BE ALLOWED THROUGH A MINOR AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, ONE OF THE NEW THINGS THAT WAS ADDED WAS DEMOLITION OF ANY BUILDING OR STRUCTURE THAT WOULD BE A MINOR AMENDMENT.
NOW WE CLARIFIED SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT APPLIED ONLY TO BULK STORAGE.
THIS WAS REALLY JUST A REORGANIZATION OF THESE, THESE AREN'T NEW STANDARDS FROM DRAFT ONE.
AND THEN FINALLY THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL MINOR AMENDMENTS.
SO CHANGING A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE, DOING SOME KIND OF IMPROVEMENT, MOVING THINGS.
UM, IT WAS INCREASED, IT WAS 5% PRIOR IN THE, UM, IN THE DRAFT ONE, WE INCREASED THAT TO 10% TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN DOING A LOT, UM, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE PROPOSED ZONING MAP.
THIS IS REALLY TRANSLATING THOSE DISTRICTS, UM, FROM WHAT YOU, YOU FORMERLY HAD IN CHAPTER 40 TO THESE NEW DISTRICTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA LET AMANDA TAKE IT AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO FLIP SCREENS.
THE JEFFERSON PARISH PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE MAPPING COMPONENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT STUDY.
THE MAPPING IS LIMITED TO THE STUDY OF THE ZONING AND FUTURE LAND USE OF PROPERTY ZONED O W ONE OFFICE WAREHOUSE, AND M ONE, M TWO, M THREE, AND M FOUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
UH, THE INTENT IS TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES TO THE MOST APPROPRIATE ZONING DISTRICT IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED, SORRY.
THE INTENT IS TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES TO THE MOST APPROPRIATE ZONING DISTRICT IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THESE NEW DISTRICTS.
AS A RESULT OF THIS STUDY, UH, THIS ARCGIS STORY MAP ILLUSTRATES THE PROPOSED DISTRICT'S LOCATIONS AND BOUNDARIES.
WHILE SUMMARIZING WHY EACH NEW DISTRICT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT AREA, WE TRY TO MAKE THIS AS USER-FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THESE PROPOSALS ARE INTENDED TO SPARK PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONVERSATION, SO PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS WITH ANY OF THESE PROPOSED DISTRICTS.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT SURVEYED INDUSTRIAL ZONE PROPERTIES DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021, AND AGAIN DURING THE WINTER OF 2022 THROUGH 2023, WE EVALUATED THE CURRENT ZONING CURRENT LAND USES BY DEVELOPMENT SITE, FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES SURROUNDING ZONING, AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
THIS WEBSITE IS BROKEN INTO FOCUS AREAS BETWEEN BOTH BANKS.
IN ORDER PRO TO PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED REVIEW, PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THESE SITES AND SEE OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IN GENERAL, THE EAST BANK IS MAPPED WITH MOSTLY THE IMU AND IL DUE TO THE NATURE OF ITS DENSER SMALLER SITES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO NON-INDUSTRIAL ZONE PROPERTY.
ELMWOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, IS MAPPED WITH THE IL IN ITS CORE AND THE IMU NC TWO GENERAL COMMERCIAL AROUND THE PERIPHERY.
THE IL IS ALSO MAPPED ON OTHER SITES THROUGHOUT THE EAST BANK, SUCH AS ALONG, SUCH AS ALONG AIRHART AND PARTS OF JEFFERSON HIGHWAY.
THE IMU IS GENERALLY MAPPED ON SITES THAT CURRENTLY HAVE THE CP Z COMMERCIAL PARKWAY OVERLAY ZONE, SUCH AS LASALLE PARK AND SITES NEAR JEFFERSON HIGHWAY AND THE ORLEANS PARISH LINE.
AND THERE IS SOME HEAVY INDUSTRIAL ALONG THE RIVER.
THE WEST BANK HAS THE I L F ON THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT OF THE LANDFILL.
IH IS MAPPED ALONG THE HARVEY CANAL AND THE RIVER IL AND IMU BUFFERS BETWEEN HEAVY INDUSTRIAL SITES AND NON-INDUSTRIAL SITES.
AND IL IS MAPPED ON LARGER UNDEVELOPED SITES AS A WAY TO PRESERVE THE INDUSTRIAL LAND.
THE HMO IS CURRENTLY MAPPED ON EXISTING APPROVED SITE PLANS FOR BULK STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
SO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BEFORE THEY PRESENTED AS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT'S FORMAL STAFF REPORT TO THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD AND PARISH COUNCIL.
SO YOU CAN SUBMIT COMMENTS TO US ABOUT THESE MAPS THROUGH THE JEFFERSON PARISH INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT STUDY PAGE OR THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STATE PAGE.
[00:25:06]
UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF CLOSE OUT, UM, THE SCHEDULE THAT WE'RE ON, AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE WORKING IN 2021 ON THE, UH, REPORT AND THE ANALYSIS.WE DID THE PUBLIC REVIEW OF, UH, WE FINISHED IN NOVEMBER THE PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE FIRST DRAFT.
SO NOW WE'RE HERE IN THE SECOND, IN THE SECOND DRAFT OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS, UH, WITH THE ATTEMPT TO HOPEFULLY GET TOWARDS THE END BY WINTER 20 23, 20 24.
SO REALLY KIND OF LOOKING AT JANUARY, UM, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO VISIT JP INDUSTRIAL ZONING.COM.
THIS POWERPOINT WILL BE UP THERE BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
IT'S GOT LINKS TO ALL THE DOCUMENTS.
IT HAS A LINK TO THE ZONING MAP PAGE AS WELL.
UM, SO YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THAT AND KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AROUND, MAKE SURE THE PARCELS ARE MAPPED, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE MAPPED, UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBMIT COMMENTS.
THERE IS A COMMENT FORM ON THE WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN PUT EVERYTHING INTO.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO RECEIVE SOME, AND WE WOULD LIKE ALL COMMENTS BY JULY 21ST, UM, OF NEXT MONTH, SO BASICALLY A MONTH FROM NOW.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, WE THANK YOU, UH, FOR TAKING THE TIME AND, UM, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO COUNCILMAN.
SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IF YOU'LL COME UP TO THE PODIUM, WE HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO COMMENT ON TONIGHT'S, UH, PROPOSED ZONING AND REGULATIONS.
SO I'M GONNA CALL YOU UP ONE AT A TIME.
IF YOU WOULD STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, TRY TO YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL.
I LIVE AT TWO 20 PINECREST DRIVE, MADISONVILLE, LOUISIANA.
I'M A HUSBAND AND A FATHER OF TWINS.
PRIOR TO LIVING ON THE NORTH SHORE, I LIVED ON THE EAST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH IN ST.
ONE OF THOSE RESIDENTS WAS DIRECTLY ON RIVER ROAD DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE RIVER DOCK OF CORNERSTONE ENERGY PARK.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT I WOULD STILL BE RESIDING IN JEFFERSON PARISH HAD I NOT NEEDED TO RELOCATE FROM MY WIFE'S JOB.
CORNERSTONE ENERGY PARK HAS ALLOWED MY FAMILY TO THRIVE AND GROW BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFORDED TO US.
I HAVE A BROTHER, A SISTER-IN-LAW, AS WELL AS A BROTHER-IN-LAW THAT ARE ALSO EMPLOYED AT CORNERSTONE.
CORNERSTONE HAS TRULY MADE A HUGE IMPACT ON MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY'S LIVES, ALLOWING THEM TO GROW AND FLOURISH.
I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED AT CORNERSTONE SINCE 2011 WITH 12 YEARS OF SERVICE.
DURING MY TENURE AT CORNERSTONE, I'VE WORKED IN THE AREAS OF SAFETY, OPERATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND NOW MAINTENANCE.
THE PEOPLE YOU SEE SITTING BEHIND ME TODAY ARE SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 450 FAMILIES THAT THIS, THAT THE DECISION OF THIS COUNCIL WILL IMPACT.
CORNERSTONE HAS PROVEN TO BE A LEADER IN A PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY OF JEFFERSON PARISH WITH COUNTLESS OUTREACH PROGRAMS SUPPORTING LOCAL SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
CORNERSTONE ALSO PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS, FURTHER EDUCATION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES, CREATING A STRONGER SOCIOECONOMIC DIVERSE JEFFERSON PARISH.
THE MEN AND WOMEN YOU SEE HERE TODAY ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING AND DEDICATED EMPLOYEES THAT TAKE OUR PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS VERY SERIOUSLY.
CORNERSTONE HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, SUCH AS JEFFERSON PARISH STATE POLICE, AND L D E Q.
WHILE I RESPECT EVERYONE'S OPINIONS, WHAT I WOULD ASK THE COUNSELOR TODAY IS THAT WE FOCUS ON FACTS AND NOT FEELINGS.
ELIMINATE THE CONJECTURE AND FOCUS ON WHAT THE REAL DATA SAYS ABOUT OUR PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT.
AND DO, AND LET'S DO THE DUE DILIGENCE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, WE HAVE PLATFORMS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHEN LEFT UNCHECKED AND UNTETHERED, THESE OUTLETS ALLOW FOR THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION.
I INTEND FOR MY SON AND MY DAUGHTER TO ONE DAY ALSO WORK AT CORNERSTONE ENERGY PARK IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
I AS WELL AS THE OTHERS HERE WITH ME TODAY, WANT THE LINEAGE OF CORNERSTONE TO CONTINUE SO THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE FAMILIES OF JEFFERSON PARISH FOR THE NEXT 50 PLUS YEARS AS THEY HAVE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY, AND CORNERSTONE IS GOOD FOR JEFFERSON PARISH, AND I HOPE THAT WHAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU TODAY SHOWS THAT CORNERSTONE DOES CARE.
I BELIEVE IT'S ANTHONY FGO OF FGO.
I CAN'T QUITE READ THE BACK NAME, LAST NAME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND ON THE REZONING PROPOSAL.
I RESIDE AT EIGHT RYAN DRIVE, KENNER, LOUISIANA.
DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, I DECIDED MY CAREER PATH WOULD BE TO WORK IN INDUSTRY.
AS A RESULT, I HAVE BEEN WORKING AS A CHEMICAL ENGINEER IN INDUSTRIAL FIELD FOR 36 YEARS, THE LAST 31 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN AT THE CORNERSTONE FACILITY.
I HAVE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE, NOT ONLY IN JEFFERSON PARISH,
[00:30:01]
BUT ALSO IN THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE.WITHOUT FACILITIES SUCH AS CORNERSTONE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IMPROVEMENT IN PEOPLE, STANDARD OF LIFE, TECHNOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION AMONG MANY OTHER NEEDS.
SITES SUCH AS CORNERSTONE IN THE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK THERE, INVEST IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND SEVERAL OF THE SURROUNDING PARISHES THROUGH TAXES THEY PAY IN SUPPORTING MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES AND MORE ACTIONS SUCH AS THE PROPOSED REZONING MAKE INVESTMENTS IN CORNERSTONE AND OTHER INDUSTRY SITES SUCH AS OURS, LESS FAVORABLE AND WILL RESULT IN A LOWERING OF INVESTMENTS FOR THE NEEDS OF THE PARISH, AND THE NEED TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OF HIGHLY SKILLED PERSONNEL OR THE LOSS OF SUCH HIGHLY PAID JOBS.
CORNERSTONE HAS SEVERAL POTENTIAL PROJECTS IN CURRENT PRODUCT MANUFACTURING THAT ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, NATIONAL DEFENSE, FERTILIZER PRODUCTS, AND MORE.
IT IS A CORE VALUE OF ALL PERSONNEL AT COR CORNERSTONE.
FROM THE NEW HIRE TO THE CEO THAT WE OPERATE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND EMPLOYEE COMMUNITY HEALTH REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS AT ALL TIMES.
I ASK THAT YOU NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPOSED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OVERLAY DISTRICT.
I LIVE IN BE CHASE, LOUISIANA.
I'M HERE TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF MY CURRENT EMPLOYER AT CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL COMPANY IN OPPOSITION, A NEW PRO PROPOSED HMO HAZARDOUS MATERIAL OVERLAY REZONING.
I'M A THIRD GENERATION CHEMICAL AND REFINERY WORKER BETWEEN MY GRANDPA, DAD, MYSELF.
WE HAVE 101 YEARS INSIDE THESE PLANTS.
IF YOU HAD MY WIFE, THAT'S 112.
THESE PLANTS HAVE PROVIDED MY FAMILY AND I WITH GREAT CAREERS AND LIFESTYLES FOR MANY YEARS AND WOULD WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO CONTINUE ON IN THE FUTURE WITH MY TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD SON WITH ALL THE YEARS IN THE PLANTS, MY FAMILY, ANYBODY I KNOW HAS EVER HAD ANY POSSIBILITY OF FINDING OUT OF ANY HEALTH ISSUES OR ANYTHING FROM WORKING IN THESE FACILITIES.
THOUGH I MAY NOT LIVE IN THE AREA, I HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I LIVE BETWEEN TWO CHEMICAL PLANTS THAT ARE LESS THAN 3.8 MILES AWAY FROM A CHEMICAL PLANT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE I'M SPEAKING OF HAD FOUR GENERATIONS BORN AND RAISED THERE WITH THE FIFTH UP AND COMING.
THOSE FAMILIES HAVE NEVER SPOKE OF ANYTHING NEGATIVE OR HAD ANYTHING BAD TO SAY OF THOSE CHEMICAL PLANTS.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN POSITIVE WITH HOW MUCH THEY DO FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING AREA.
BUT NOT ONLY DO I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT LIVE NEARBY, I ALSO HAVE RAISED LIVESTOCK AND GROWN AND BAILED HAY MY WHOLE LIFE IN THE AREA.
AS LONG AS MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN IN THIS AREA, I HAVE YET TO SMELL ANY KIND OF OD OR CHEMICAL OR ANY OTHER ISSUE FROM THE PLANT.
I'M SURE THE COUNCILING RE ON BOARD IS AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT COMES FROM THESE FACILITIES.
IT'S A POSSIBLE RISK OF LOSING OUT ON THAT.
IF THESE BUSINESS ARE NOT ABLE TO GROW AND EXPAND, THEY WILL EVENTUALLY LOOK TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF YOU KNOW THE EFFECTS THAT IT WOULD CAUSE TO JEFFERSON PARISH IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, BUT I COULD TELL YOU THIS, I WITNESSED IT FIRSTHAND IN MY HOMETOWN WITH MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER.
WHEN PHILLIPS CLOSED THE REFINERY IN BELL CHASE HAD CAUSED MAJOR ECONOMICAL STRAIN THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
FAMILIES LOSING EVERYTHING THEY WORKED FOR HAVING TO SELL HOMES, BUSINESS, CLOSING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR FOLKS, IMAGINE YOU AND YOUR WIFE GOING TO WORK LIKE YOU NORMALLY DO EVERY DAY, BUT THIS TIME GET TO WORK TO BE TOLD THEY'RE SHUTTING THE REFINERY DOWN.
TAKE THAT ONE IN FOR A MINUTE.
SOMETHING I HOPE TO NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH AGAIN OR SEE ANYONE GO THROUGH.
I HOPE THEY WILL BE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR, FOR CORNERSTONE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, FOR ME TO FINISH MY CAREER AND MY SON TO START AND FINISH.
I'M GONNA CLOSE IT OUT WITH THIS.
I ASK THE PEOPLE HERE BEFORE ME AND OTHERS INVOLVED IN MAKING A FINAL DECISION ON THIS TO PLEASE CONSIDER ALL OF US THAT WORK THERE AND OUR FAMILIES IN ECONOMIC EFFECT.
THIS CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE MOST IMPORTANTLY, ALL THE FAMILIES IN THESE FACILITIES SUPPORT AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.
I LIVE AT 2 82 ORCHARD ROAD IN RIVER RIDGE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND I'M NOT BEING PAID TO, UH, BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, LAST NIGHT YOU HEARD INDUSTRY MAKES SAY THAT INDUSTRIES THE BACKBONE OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
UH, CORNERSTONE HAS A SPECIAL REQUEST ON THE BOARD OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY'S AGENDA TO FURTHER DECREASE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES TO 350 IN ORDER TO KEEP QUALIFYING FOR TAX EXEMPTIONS.
ABOUT A THIRD OF THEIR EMPLOYEES LIVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
YOU HEARD KIM TERRELL TALK ABOUT THE TANK
[00:35:01]
FARMS, AND SHE POINTED OUT THAT THEY OPERATE WITH VERY FEW EMPLOYEES.NOW, ACCORDING TO THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION, THERE ARE 214,000 PEOPLE IN THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
NONE OF THE TOP 20 EMPLOYERS ARE IN THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
SO IT'S REALLY THE RETAIL SERVICE AND HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE THE BACKBONE OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
LAST NIGHT YOU HEARD ABOUT CANCER INCIDENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, BUT THAT WAS FOR ALL OF JEFFERSON PARISH, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 70 MILES LONG.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT CENSUS TRACTED DATA AND NOT PARISH WIDE DATA.
AND IT'S FROM THE SAME SOURCE.
IT'S THE LOUISIANA TUMOR REGISTRY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN A MILE OF CORNERSTONE, THEIR RATE OF CANCER IS 25% HIGHER THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN LOUISIANA AND 40% HIGHER THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN AMERICA.
THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY HAS ITS OWN INTEREST TO CONSIDER.
THE JOB OF JEFFERSON PARISH IS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF ITS CITIZENS.
THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS DO NOT DO THIS.
WE CANNOT WAIT ON LOUISIANA LEGISLATORS NOR THE E P A TO MANDATE FENCE LINE AIR MONITORING WITH REAL-TIME DATA CAPTURE AND COMMUNITY ALERTS.
ALL TITLE V FACILITIES, THESE ARE THE ONES WITH MAJOR AIR PERMITS.
NEW AND EXISTING SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS.
SENATOR CONNICK SENT OUT A SURVEY TO HIS CONSTITUENTS, AND 98% OF 575 RESPONDENTS SUPPORT LEGISLATION MANDATING FENCE LINE AIR MONITORING AT CHEMICAL PLANTS, INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, PRODUCING AND STORING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MUST HAVE A BUFFER LARGER THAN 500 FEET.
THE PARKING LOT THAT THIS BUILDING SITS ON IS ABOUT 500 FEET.
SO WHAT'S A REASONABLE BUFFER DIS UH, DISTANCE? WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WEST IN WEST TEXAS, THE FERTILIZER PLANT EXPLOSION, IT COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED A HIGH SCHOOL LIKE 1500 FEET AWAY.
AND THE FERTILIZER PLANT EXPLOSION IN LEBANON IN 2020 KILLED 220 PEOPLE AND DAMAGED BUILDINGS MILES AWAY.
SO NOW IF WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO THE CITIZENS IN JEFFERSON PARISH WANT A SURVEY OF THE 3000 MEMBERS IN OUR AIR QUALITY GROUP FOUND THAT WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, NO ONE SUPPORTS NEW CHEMICAL AND FERTILIZER PLANTS, REFINERIES, TANK FARMS, AND SO ON.
AND NO ONE SUPPORTS EXPANSION OF EXISTING.
THE RIVERRIDGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION DID A SURVEY AND NOT A SINGLE PERSON SUPPORTED NEW PETROCHEMICAL FACILITIES.
AND IT BRINGS ME TO THREE QUICK QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
THE FIRST IS, WHY WOULD ONLY NEW FACILITIES BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE FENCE LINE AIR MONITORING? WHY WOULDN'T THOSE THREE TITLE V FACILITIES, IT'S THE TWO LANDFILLS AND CORNERSTONE BE REQUIRED? NEXT QUESTION IS THE RATIONALE FOR ALLOWING NEW CHEMICAL AND FOR FERTILIZER AND TANK FARMS AND WHY ALLOW EXPANSION OF EXISTING? AND THE LAST ONE IS JUST ABOUT THAT GRAIN ELEVATOR.
WHY IS THAT JUST FLAT OUT PROHIBITED WHEN SO MANY OTHER THINGS ARE IN FACT, UM, ALLOWED? SO THANK YOU.
IS YOUR, IS YOUR OBJECTION TO THE SPECIFIC TO ZONING PRESENTATION? DOES IT HAD MORE TO DO WITH THE SPECIFIC CORNERSTONE, UH, REQUEST THAT'S ON THE TAPE? WELL, SORT OF ON THE TABLE.
I MEAN, THE FIRST THING IS, AND I SUBMITTED A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS AND THEY'RE PRETTY SPECIFIC.
UM, I JUST FELT THE NEED, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMEONE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING ACCURATE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING I WAS JUST ASKING MM-HMM.
WELL, I TALKED A COUPLE OF THE MAJOR ONES JUST NOW, WHICH ARE THE BUFFER ZONE AND THEN THE FENCE LINE AIR MONITORING.
BUT I SUBMITTED AND I SENT IT TO YOU AS WELL, YOU KNOW, QUITE A, IN THAT EMAIL? YES, YES.
MY NAME IS JENNY ZIMMER AND I LIVE AT 92 13 ROSECREST LANE.
I'M NOT BEING PAID HERE TONIGHT, AND I CLEARLY MISSED THE MEMO THAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR A BLUE SHIRT.
UM, LAST NIGHT AND TONIGHT YOU'VE HEARD CORNERSTONE EMPLOYEES TALK ABOUT THEIR LOYALTY TO CORNERSTONE.
AND EACH ONE OF THEM SAID THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS IN MAKES AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH SAID THAT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE REGULATIONS.
OUR 3000 MEMBER AIR QUALITY GROUP AND THE RIVER RIDGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION DO NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE REGULATIONS.
THE TWO GROUPS THAT WILL BE MOST AFFECTED BY INDUSTRIAL ZONING CHANGES ARE CORNERSTONE AND THE CITIZENS OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
BOTH ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT, UM, WE SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE REGULATIONS WITH SO MUCH OPPOSITION FROM INDUSTRY AND THE PUBLIC.
WHAT IS THE PLAN AND TIMELINE GOING FORWARD? CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE A FINAL VERSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS ON THE OCTOBER P B AGENDA? THANK YOU.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED THIS FIRST NAME.
[00:40:05]
HELLO, MY NAME IS J VIAN BAKER.UM, SO MY COMMENTS TONIGHT ARE, UH, IN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS AND ALSO SOME ISSUES, UM, RELATED TO MY COMMUNITY.
I HAVEN'T BEEN PAID, UH, TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY, SINCE MOVING IN LIVE OAKS ESTATES IN WAG, LOUISIANA.
TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HEALTH CHALLENGES AND AN INTERRUPTION TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
A MUSTY, GASSY, TOXIC ODOR LURKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
EVERY MORNING, IN EVERY EVENING, UM, WE EXPERIENCE MIGRAINES, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, BURNING EYES, THROATS, SKIN IRRITATION, AND NAUSEA.
THE TOXIC ODOR STOPS US FROM GRILLING OUTSIDE, RELAXING ON THE BACK PORCH, PLAYING OUTDOORS WITH, UM, MY KID, UM, AND ENTERTAINING FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
UM, WE ARE ASKING FOR FENCE LINE AIR MONITORS ON ALL NEW AND EXISTING INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES TO DETECT WHAT IS IN THE AIR, LOCATE WHERE THE ODOR IS COMING FROM, AND THE ELIMINATION OF TOXIC ODOR.
UM, WE ALSO DEMAND THAT JEFFERSON PARISH, LANDFILL, RIVER, RIVER, BIRDS LANDFILL, CORNERSTONE PLANT, CHEMICAL PLANT, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES CONTRIBUTING TO ESCALATING POLLUTIONS IN OUR AREA NOT BE ALLOWED TO EXPAND.
AT THE LEAST, WE ASK THAT THESE EXISTING AND NEW INDUSTR IN INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES ARE REQUIRED TO UPGRADE EXISTING EQUIPMENT, INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY FOR ZERO EMISSIONS, AND CREATE A, A NATURAL DISASTER PLAN THAT INCLUDES THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
WE ALSO ASK THAT THE PARISH AND STATE REDEVELOP EMISSION LEVELS TO REFLECT THE FEDERAL STANDARDS.
OUR HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IS ENDANGERED.
MY NAME IS GILDA HAGEN BROWN, AND I AM A RESIDENT OF THE LIVE OAK COMMUNITY IN WAGMAN, LOUISIANA.
I'VE NOT BEEN PAID TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY, NOR WILL I EVER BE PAID TO REPRESENT THE HORROR MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SINCE MOVING TO WAGMAN, LOUISIANA.
WE'VE LIVED IN THE LIVE OAK STATES COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS, AND HAVE ALREADY BEGUN HEALTH PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THE UNCLEAN AIR THAT SURROUNDS US NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP.
TAKE A WALK, SIT ON YOUR PORCH, DO YARD WORK, GATHER WITH YOUR FAMILY ON HOLIDAYS OR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
INSIDE OR OUTSIDE IS BEYOND BELIEF TO ME.
THE ANXIETY ALONE FROM CONSTANT WORRY ABOUT OUR CURRENT AND LONG-TERM HEALTH AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE FOUL TOXIC, GUT WRENCHING STENCHES FROM THE EMISSIONS, GASES AND FUMES, WE BREATHE FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK FROM THE CHEMICAL PLANTS, LANDFILLS AND OTHER OPERATIONS ADJUST BEHIND THE TREES THAT SURROUND US.
OUR SYMPTOMS INCLUDE ABSOLUTELY NO SLEEP AT ALL.
MIGRAINES, NOSE BLEEDS, BURNING EYES, NOSE, HORSE LIKE YOU HEAR ME NOW.
SCRATCHY, CRACKY, THROAT, IRRITATED SKIN AND NAUSEA, JUST TO NAME A FEW DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SMELL IS.
ALLOWING NEW FACILITIES AND EXPANSIONS OF THESE OPERATIONS THAT ARE MAJOR POLLUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL ONLY IN INCREASE THESE SYMPTOMS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
SHOWING COMPASSION FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ITS RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR THROUGH FENCE LINE.
AIR MONITORING IS NOT ONLY FOR NEW, SHOULD NOT ONLY BE FOR NEW FACILITIES, BUT ALL FACILITIES WITH REAL TIME DATA AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS WHAT I CONSIDER A REAL COMMUNITY PARTNER, A GOOD NEIGHBOR CORNERSTONE, NOT A BUNCH OF MATCHING SHIRTS, HEADCOUNTS AND REHEARSALS OF THE SAME OLD LINES AND COVERUPS.
WHEN WILL YOU LISTEN TO US JEFFERSON PARISH? YOU SHOULD BE PROTECTING OUR HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE AND PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR CONCERNS.
INSTEAD OF CREATING MORE FUTURE CANCER ALLEYS AND LAWSUITS, OUR HEALTH IS IN
[00:45:01]
JEOPARDY.MAKE IT NO LO MAKING IT NO LONGER SAFE TO LIVE IN OUR HOMES, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE REAL CONCERN.
SHOULD THESE OPERATIONS SUCCEED AT CHASING US AWAY? WE DEMAND FENCE LINE AIR MONITORING.
MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR ALL, FOR OUR SAFETY.
FOR YOUR SAFETY, WE DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE AIR.
WHEN CHEMICAL LEVELS EXCEED NORMAL LEVELS, LIMITS NEW PLANTS AND EXPANSIONS CAN ONLY CREATE MORE EMISSIONS AND MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR US.
WHEN IS ENOUGH? ENOUGH? THIS IS REAL LIFE.
YOU ALL HAVE REAL WORK TO DO AND I PRAY YOU CONSIDER THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTS INSTEAD OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR LIVES AND FAMILIES BEFORE FINALIZING THESE REGULATIONS AS I DO NOT FULLY SUPPORT THE CURRENT VERSION.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ME ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UH, MY NAME IS CONNIE FABRY AND I RESIDE IN BATON ROUGE.
I USED TO LIVE IN, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH AND I ENJOYED MY YEARS THERE, BUT, UH, I GOT MARRIED TO SOMEBODY FROM BATON ROUGE.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I REPRESENT THE NEW ORLEANS INDUSTRIAL MANAGERS GROUP AND THE GREATER BATON ROUGE INDUSTRY ALLIANCE, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT TRADE ASSOCIATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1970.
OUR MEMBERS INCLUDE APPROXIMATELY 100 INDUSTRIAL SITES THAT MANUFACTURE THE MODERN DAY PRODUCTS THAT MOST OF US USE WHEN WE DRIVE CARS, CHANGE A BABY'S DIAPER, GO FOR A WALK OR NEED TO STAY IN THE HOSPITAL.
SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS DO BEGIN WITH COMPOUNDS WHICH ARE CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS.
A HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LIKE CHLORINE KEEPS OUR WATER SAFE.
AND HYDROGEN CYANIDE IS A MOLECULE THAT IS USED TO MAKE DENTAL CROWNS, KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENTS.
ALTHOUGH A CHEMICAL MAY BE CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS CHEMISTRY AND PEOPLE TURN THOSE MOLECULES INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS THAT WE NEED, SINCE WE NEED THEM, WE SHOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENABLE MANUFACTURERS TO PRODUCE THEM RESPONSIBLY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
OUR ASSOCIATION'S MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST 64% OF ALL THE JOBS IN THE RIVER REGION INDUSTRY.
ITS EMPLOYEES, SUPPLIERS, AND CONTRACTORS MAKE UP THIS COMMUNITY.
WE ARE THE COMMUNITY, SO THE, THE RETAIL BUSINESSES AND SO FORTH IN JEFFERSON PARISH, MANY PROBABLY SUPPLY INDUSTRY.
I USED TO WORK FOR INDUSTRY WHEN I, WHEN I LIVED HERE.
INDUSTRY IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE REVISIONS MADE TO THE DRAFT NUMBER TWO OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT'S ZONING REGULATIONS.
HOW THIS DRAFT IS STILL SIGNIFICANTLY PROBLEMATIC TO IMPLEMENT AND WE FEEL WILL STIFLE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTS IN PROGRESS THAT MAY BE LOST SHOULD THIS VERSION OF THE DRAFT BE APPROVED.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT IS A SIGNIFICANT OVERREACH FROM ZONING ORDINANCES TO REGULATIONS THAT ARE COVERED BY OTHER AGENCIES AND IS THEREFORE NOT SOUND POLICY.
INDUSTRY IS ALREADY HIGHLY REGULATED IN THE AREAS SUCH AS AIR AND ODOR MONITORING AND REPORTING.
THOSE PROCESSES EXIST, EMERGENCIES AND EMERGENCY REPORTING AND, AND BULK STORAGE PLACEMENT.
AND THOSE STANDARDS ARE BASED ON YEARS OF WORKING WITHIN INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITIES.
THEREFORE, THERE'S MUCH IN THE ZONING DRAFT THAT IS REDUNDANT AND NOT NECESSARY AND IS PUNITIVE TO EXISTING INDUSTRY.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME TO PARTICIPATE IN A MONUMENTAL SHIFT IN ENERGY PRODUCTION TO A LOWER CARBON FUTURE.
LOUISIANA IS THE LEADING STATE IN PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR NOT ONLY CARBON CAPTURE, BUT ALSO ENERGY SAVINGS INVESTMENTS, WHICH COULD BE PUT IN AT THE, THE CORNERSTONE COMPLEX AND OTHERS IN THE PARISH AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S SUCH TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO RETAIN EXISTING AND WELCOME NEW BUSINESSES AND JOBS IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
THE NEW ORLEANS INDUSTRIAL MANAGERS GROUP OPPOSES THE DRAFT REGULATIONS.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT INDUSTRY BE INCLUDED IN FUTURE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT SO THAT A WIN-WIN PROPOSAL THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS CAN BE DRAFTED.
I'LL TRY TO SPEAK LOUDLY FOR THE LADIES IN THE BACK WHO HAVE MISQUOTED ME FROM MY TESTIMONY LAST NIGHT.
[00:50:01]
MY NAME IS DESIREE LEMOINE AND I'M THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR INDUSTRY MAKES, WHICH IS A 5 0 1 C FOUR NONPROFIT ESTABLISHED TO BE A TRUSTED SOURCE OF INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS WHILE ADVOCATING FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH THAT IS THE BACKBONE OF LOUISIANA.INDUSTRY MAKES IS MADE UP OF LOUISIANA MANUFACTURERS, THE LARGE AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT LOUISIANA'S MANUFACTURING BASE, AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SITTING BEHIND ME TODAY THAT SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE JOBS THEY HOLD IN INDUSTRY, THE EMPLOYEES BEHIND.
AND LET ME BE CLEAR, I DO GET PAID.
I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING BEHIND ME AND TO DISMISS THEM IS SHAMEFUL.
WHILE INDUSTRY MAKES AGREES THAT SOME CHANGES ARE WARRANTED TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WE OBJECT TO THE SUGGESTED REVISIONS THAT INCLUDE A NEW HAZARDOUS MATERIAL OVERLAY OR HMO THAT WILL, IF PASSED NEGATIVELY, IMPACT BOTH EXISTING AND FUTURE INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS THAT RELY ON BULK STORAGE OF CHEMICAL FEEDS FOR THEIR PROCESSES AND WILL SEVERELY RESTRICT INDUSTRY'S ABILITY TO EXPAND OR MODIFY OPERATIONS TO ADJUST TO CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.
THE PROPOSED REZONING LIMITS INDUSTRY GROWTH BY PLACING DRASTIC RESTRICTIONS ON THE LOCATION OF BULK STORAGE WITHIN BOTH EXISTING AS WELL AS FUTURE FACILITIES.
INDUSTRY MAKES BELIEVES THIS IS DESIGNED TO DISCOURAGE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT BY MAKING IT PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
IN JEFFERSON PARISH INDUSTRY MAKES STANDS IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED AND INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS ON THE BASIS THAT THESE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE OVERLY BURDENSOME, EXPENSIVE, COMPLICATED, AND REDUNDANT WITH SPECIFIC DESIGNS ON ONE CLASS OF BUSINESS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
MY ADDRESS IS 69 51 LOUIS THE 14TH IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.
I WORK FOR INTERNATIONAL TEX TANK TERMINALS OR I M G T.
WE HAVE A BULK LIQUID STORAGE FACILITY IN AVONDALE, WHERE WE PRIMARILY STORE VEGETABLE OILS, ANIMAL FATS, UH, TROPICAL OILS, THAT, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UH, WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE PARISH AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO REVAMP OUR ZONING RULES IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS BOTH THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO PROVIDES A CLEAR ROADMAP FOR, UH, INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AT I AMPUTEE, WE DO RECOGNIZE IT IS OUR OBLIGATION, UH, TO BE A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN AND ALSO BE WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE, UH, WITH A WILLINGNESS TO, TO COMPROMISE ON, ON TOUGH ISSUES.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE PLANNING BOARD'S, UH, WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT OUR FEEDBACK, AND I NOTICED IN THE LATEST DRAFT THERE, THERE, UH, WERE SOME REQUESTED CLARIFICATIONS THAT APPEARED.
UM, THERE ARE TWO RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE DRAFT OR ADDITIONS TO THE RECENT DRAFT, UM, THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC.
I JUST WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
FIRST THERE IS THE 1500 FOOT SETBACK, UM, REQUIREMENT THAT APPEARS TO APPLY TO NEW BULK LIQUID STORAGE FACILITIES AS WELL AS, UM, FOR NEW TANKS AT EXISTING FACILITIES LIKE OURS.
WE DO HAVE A, A LARGE PORTION OF OUR PROPERTY THAT EXTENDS TO THE SOUTH.
IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET WIDE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME, UM, UH, THERE'S SOME, UH, SPECIAL, MAYBE NOT EXCEPTIONS, BUT THERE'S LEEWAY FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY.
IN, IN THIS CASE, WE DO HAVE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY, UH, ZONED TO THE EAST, BUT NOT TO THE WEST.
UM, SO, SO IN OUR PARTICULAR APPLICATION, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXPAND INTO THAT AREA UNLESS WE STORED SOME OF THE LIMITED, UH, EXCEPTION PRODUCTS, THE CULINARY, UM, PRODUCTS WHICH WE DO STORE.
BUT ONE PRODUCT, UH, THAT WE'D BE INTERESTED IN STORING IS RENEWABLE DIESEL.
SO, SO IT WOULD NOT FALL IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO WE WOULD LOOK TO MAYBE GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON, UM, STORING, UH, UM, UM, NON-HAZARDOUS OR LOW HAZARDOUS MATERIALS THAT DO NOT CAUSE OFFITE ODORS DO NOT POSE TOXICITY ISSUES, UM, THAT, UM, COULD BE SAFELY STORED WITHOUT BEING A NUISANCE TO NEIGHBORS.
UM, ALSO THE REQUIREMENT FOR FENCE LINE MONITORING.
WE, WE ARE NOT FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED TO MONITORING.
I JUST ASK THAT IT BE RIGHT SIZE AND FIT FOR PURPOSE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A VEGETABLE OIL FACILITY, WE COULD MONITOR CONTINUOUSLY
[00:55:01]
FOR ALL 200 PLUS LOUISIANA AIR TOXIC POLLUTANTS, BUT YOU WOULDN'T FIND ANY OF 'EM IN IN THE TEST DATA REPORT, UM, UNLESS THEY WERE COMING FROM OFFSITE.SO THERE'S, UM, A WIDE SPECTRUM OF, OF MONITORING APPROACHES IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, WHAT YOU MONITOR FOR, HOW FREQUENTLY, UH, WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT DATA.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED ABOUT WHAT I THINK IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, A LOT OF, UH, CHEMICAL FACILITIES ALREADY HAVE MONITORING IN PLACE TODAY, SO, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T WANNA READ WITHIN THE WHEEL.
YOU'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MONITORING FOR POLLUTANTS THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO BE, UM, ON SITE.
UH, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN WRITING OR IN PERSON.
KIRK FABRY, I COMMEND YOU ON PRONOUNCE MY NAME CORRECTLY.
UH, I LIVE AT 25 44 MICHIGAN AVENUE IN MADRE.
THAT'S IN THE, UH, UH, UM, WESTGATE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL FOR 13 YEARS.
UH, IF YOU DRAW A LINE FROM MY HOUSE TO THE PLANT, IT'S EXACTLY 3.25 MILES.
IF YOU EXTEND THAT, UH, LINE OUT TO THE EAST, IT LANDS AT, UH, THE CORNER OF JEFFERSON HIGHWAY AND CITRUS BOULEVARD.
SO TECHNICALLY I LIVE CLOSER THAN THE MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS IN RIVER RIDGE AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS IN HARRAN.
UH, IF YOU EXTEND THAT LINE OUT TOWARDS, UM, WEST WEGO, I ACTUALLY LIVE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER THAN SOME OF THE RESIDENTS.
UM, ON THE FAR EASTERN, UH, EDGE OF WAGMAN.
I LIVE THERE, UH, WITH NO WORRIES WHATSOEVER ABOUT MY FAMILY OR MY PERSONAL HEALTH.
UM, I WORK APPROXIMATELY 3000 HOURS A YEAR AT CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL OVER A 13 YEAR PERIOD THAT'S 40,000 HOURS, UH, ON SITE.
I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UM, JEOPARDIZE MY HEALTH.
UM, MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU NEEDED TO REZONE SOMETHING, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU REZONED THE MCDONALD'S BY MY HOUSE, CUZ THAT'S MORE HARMFUL TO ME THAN WHAT CORNERSTONE IS.
IT'S AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, SO I AM NOT BEING PAID TO BE HERE.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE TO ME, UH, THAT ANY ZONING THAT THE PARISH WOULD IMPOSE ON, UH, ON OUR SITE WOULD MAKE MUCH SENSE THAT WOULD LIMIT OUR GROWTH, UH, GROWTH AND NEW TENANTS AND UPGRADES TO OUR FACILITY.
UH, ONLY, UM, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SAFETY, UH, TO THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA.
UM, I, I WENT OVER THE, UM, PRESS RELEASE FROM, UM, WHEN WE OPENED THE DINO FACILITY.
UH, AND IN THAT PRESS RELEASE IT SAID IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION WORTH OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT HAD TO GO INTO OUR FACILITY, UH, TO BUILD THAT PLANT.
ANYTHING WE DO THERE, UH, EXPANSION WISE IS GONNA REQUIRE UPGRADES TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, TO OUR SAFETY, AND TO OUR REDUNDANCY PROGRAMS THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I'VE HEARD THINGS, UH, IN THE MEDIA ABOUT US, BUT AGAIN, UH, ONE OF MY POSITIONS IS, UH, WHAT'S CALLED, UH, E O P OPERATOR, WHICH IS INTO PIPE.
IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, UH, I AM ONE OF THE FRONTLINE IN, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATORS AT THE PLANT.
UH, I MONITOR, UH, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, DISCHARGES TO THE RIVER AND AIR QUALITY.
AND, UH, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING IN MY EMPLOYMENT THAT WOULD MAKE ME AS A RESIDENT, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT MY FAMILY.
I'VE GOT A SISTER, A BROTHER-IN-LAW, AND, UH, NE NIECE AND NEPHEW AND RIVER RIDGE, AND I'VE GOT A SI ANOTHER SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW AND, UH, AND, AND TWO NEPHEWS AND HARAHAN.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF THOSE RESIDENTS, BUT I THINK WE'VE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN, UH, THAT IT'S NOT US.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO, UH, RETHINK THE H HMO OVERLAY, UH, INCLUDING CORNERSTONE BECAUSE GROWTH, UH, NOT ONLY FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT IS ONLY A GOOD THING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE PARISH, BUT IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY.
UH, DO YOU WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, WE WERE JOINED LATER ON BY, UH, COUNCILMAN LARGE RICKY TEMPLE IN THE FRONT ROW.
SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT'S EVERYBODY WHO HAS SIGNED UP, AND I WANT TO ASK ONE LAST TIME IF THERE'S ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK.
[01:00:03]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.I'M RUTH LAWSON, UH, 7 36 NEWTON STREET FOR GRETTON, LOUISIANA.
I ALSO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UM, I HAVE PROVIDED MY COMMENTS REGARDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT NAUSEAM EFFECTS OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING STUDY.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION'S WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
I FELT COMPELLED TO COME UP HERE, WHICH I USUALLY DO NOT, AND SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE SEVERAL COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THOSE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE BEING PAID TO BE HERE.
THESE PROPOSED REGULATIONS HAVE A POTENTIAL IMPACT ON ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN RESIDENTS AND THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO REPRESENT THE COMPANIES THAT COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.
THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL EFFECT TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON WHERE THESE EMPLOYEES ARE IN THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
AND THE INSINUATION THAT ANY OF THEM ARE HERE, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE PAID IS SIMPLY DISRESPECTFUL.
SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO, UM, GET TO A END PRODUCT.
ANYONE ELSE? YEAH, YOU WOULD, SIR, JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
KEVIN JACKSON, 19 3 37 COUNTRY CLUB BLAINE IN HAMMOND.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY NOW FOR 45 YEARS.
UM, AT ONE TIME I WAS, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, UH, AS A RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE, UM, INSTITUTE FOR THE, UM, CIVIL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
AND I WAS STUDYING, UH, KNOX AND SOFTWARE EMISSIONS AND, UM, GROUND SOIL TRANSPORTATION OF, UH, TOXINS SUCH AS, UH, PCBS.
SO WITH THAT, I BELIEVE WITH THE 45 YEARS, I'M QUALIFIED TO SAY THAT I'VE SEEN LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
IN FACT, TO THE POINT NOW WHERE I BELIEVE THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY HOLDS ITSELF TO HIGHER STANDARDS THAN THE REGULATORY BODIES THAT IT SOMETIMES REPORTS TO.
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MISCONCEPTIONS IN SCIENCE.
AND I'D LIKE TO USE THE EXAMPLE OF THE FERTILIZER EXPLOSIVE.
NOT ALL FERTILIZERS ARE EXPLOSIVE.
IN FACT, UM, UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR, IT'S CALLED AMMONIUM SULFATE IS NON EXPLOSIVE.
IT'S NON-FLAMMABLE, AND IN FACT, IT'S A FLAME RETARDANT.
UM, SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE NOT A SCIENTIFIC PERSON, NOT AN ENGINEER, SOMETIMES IT'S EASY TO, UM, TO HAVE THAT MISCONCEPTION THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THE RESEARCH PROPERLY TO UNDERSTAND THE CHEMISTRY.
FRANKIE HIRES 5 0 9 HOME BOULEVARD IN MEE, LOUISIANA.
UM, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THE MAP AND I'M NEARSIGHTED FARSIGHTED.
I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING, BUT I, I'M GUESSING THAT THIS IS GONNA AFFECT BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER, RIGHT? AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS ONE, I'M THINKING THAT'S EAST BANK.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRETTY MUCH FROM THE AIR AIRPORT ON, IS ALL OUR INDUSTRIAL SIDE ON, ON THAT, THAT RIVER THAT'S IMPACTING RIVERRIDGE COMMUNITY AND THE METRE COMMUNITY.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, SPOKEN ABOUT, RIGHT? MAP OF INDUSTRIAL.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE'S THE MAP OF THE WEST BANK, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO I WAS AN ELECTRICIAN MOST OF MY LIFE, AND I DID H V A C BEFORE THAT.
UM, I WON'T BE BELONG HERE FOR THIS WORLD.
AND, AND GOD BLESS EVERY ONE OF YOU CHEMICAL WORKERS THAT IS ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH YOUR LIFE WITHOUT SUFFERING AS I'M PROBABLY GONNA GOOD, GOOD LUCK FOR EVERYBODY.
I WISH YOU ALL NOTHING BUT THE BEST.
I I DIDN'T WANT MY DAUGHTER TO BECOME ELECTRICIAN.
I TOOK ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION.
I, I I TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF PHYSI, JUST ENOUGH COLLEGE TO MAKE MYSELF NOT WANNA LEARN ANYMORE OR BE CONFIRMED OF WHAT I FIGURED OUT THAT I LEARNED.
UM, SOME OF THIS STUFF'S BIOCUMULATIVE.
AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY, IF YOU'RE GENETICS AFFORD YOU, MAYBE YOU WON'T SUFFER THE WORST OF CONSEQUENCES.
JEFFERSON PARISH IS TWO DISSIMILAR COMMUNITIES SUBURBAN OVER HERE.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT INDUSTRIAL IS A, IS A COMPONENT, IS A MAJOR BIG THING TO US.
WELL, ON THE EAST BANK, NO IT ISN'T.
NOBODY, NOBODY FROM THE EAST BANK IS
[01:05:01]
HERE PRETTY MUCH THAT I KNOW.MY, I I BARELY COULD GET OVER HERE.
WAGMAN DOESN'T HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE BETWEEN WAGMAN AND AVONDALE.
THERE'S NO REPRESENTATIVE THAT REPRESENTS THOSE COMMUNITIES EXCLUSIVELY.
THEY SUFFERED TWO REPRESENTATIVES.
THE POWER OF THIS GOVERNANCE IS VESTED IN DIS DISTRICTS ONE AND FIVE.
YOU'RE GONNA GET WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST APPEAL TO THEIR CONCERNS.
YOU'RE GONNA GET WHAT YOU WANT.
THIS IS JUST A BAIT AND SWITCH.
THIS IS AN OVERREACH TO GET MOST OF THE, THE ONE SIDE TO, TO BE, BE MAD ABOUT THIS AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL COMPROMISE TO THEM.
AND THEN MAYBE YOU'LL GET A TOKEN GESTURE FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE IN WAGMAN.
MAYBE THEY'LL GET SOME KIND OF ANECDOTAL FE FENCE TESTING OR SOMETHING.
NOBODY'S GONNA MAKE A MORAL DECISION HERE AND NOBODY'S GONNA MAKE A LEGITIMATE LEGISLATIVE DECISION HERE CUZ WE DON'T HAVE A LEGITIMATE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
ANYONE ELSE? HELLO? UM, MY NAME'S MICHELLE CONDON.
I LIVE AT 7,500 STONELEY DRIVE IN HAHAN, LOUISIANA.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE REZONING.
UM, I'VE WORKED AT CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL GOING ON 25 YEARS NOW.
I'M A CHEMIST AND HAVE WORKED WITH CHEMICALS MY ENTIRE CAREER.
UM, CORNERSTONE HAS PROVIDED A GREAT SAFE PLACE TO WORK WITH A GOOD SAFETY RECORD AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK RECORD.
I AM NOT EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS WHILE I AM ON SITE AT WORK, NINE HOURS A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TO HANDLE CHEMICALS.
SO IF I'M NOT EXPOSED TO THEM AT WORK, WHILE I'M PHYSICALLY ON SITE THERE, I'M CERTAINLY NOT EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS AT MY HOME FOUR AND A HALF MILES AWAY.
UM, I'M ALSO PROBABLY ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE OTHER HEAVY INDUSTRIAL ZONE ALONG THE RIVER RIGHT THERE.
UM, WHICH HAS OTHER CHEMICALS, SMALLER CHEMICAL, UM, WAREHOUSES AND HANDLING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHY DO I LIVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH? CORNERSTONE CHEMICAL IS WHY I LIVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
IT PROVIDES ME A HIGH PAYING WAGE SO THAT I CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN HARAHAN, RIGHT? UM, AND IT'S CLOSE TO THE PLANT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE THERE IN HARAHAN.
UM, IT'S ALLOWED ME TO PROVIDE MY FAMILY, UM, RAISE MY TWO CHILDREN, SEND THEM TO COLLEGE.
UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO GO TO PATRICK F. TAYLOR.
YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCHOOL GOT A VERY GOOD EDUCATION.
UM, LUCKILY JEFFERSON PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAD THE FORESIGHT TO CREATE THE MAGNET SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH WAS A VERY GOOD THING, UM, UH, TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MOVE TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO MOVE HERE.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE DOING THINGS THAT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MOVE HERE, LIKE SUPPORTING THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY TO CREATE MORE, UH, HIGH PAYING JOBS.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS, UM, HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL OVERLAY DISTRICT IS DOING THE OPPOSITE, RIGHT? IT IS, UM, STIFLING POSSIBLE GROWTH, POTENTIAL GROWTH, THWARTING THE MODERNIZATION OF THE PLANT, AND, UM, STIFLING POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF WHICH WOULD BE VERY GOOD, UH, FOR NOT ONLY THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY FOR CORNERSTONE, BUT FOR JEFFERSON PARISH, RIGHT? UM, I THINK THE PROPOSAL IS VERY SHORTSIGHTED.
SO, UM, THE, UM, SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ANYONE, LAST CHANCE? YES, MA'AM.
I'M WITH THE LOUISIANA CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION.
UM, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBER
[01:10:01]
COMPANIES AND OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WE REPRESENT THROUGH CORNERSTONE.I'M JUST HERE TO REITERATE AND, UM, JUST REALLY EMPHASIZE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES AT INDUSTRY MAKES GBR AND THE JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAVE SAID THAT INDUSTRY DOES A LOT OF GOOD FOR THIS AREA AND, UH, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES.
I LIVE ON, UH, SOUTH KENNER IN WAGMAN.
AND, UH, LANDRY CONDE WANTED TO BE HERE BUT WASN'T ABLE TO.
SO, UH, I THINK HE WOULD WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT, UH, HE HAS WORKED IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY A LOT OF YEARS AND, UH, BEEN LIVING IN WAGMAN A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND, UH, HE'S ON THE HIGH SIDE OF 80.
HE'S DOING FINE BEING AROUND CHEMICALS ALL HIS LIFE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT DEADLY AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
UH, ALSO, UH, I BE OPPOSED TO ANY RESTRICTIONS THE PARISH MAY IMPOSE ON CORNERSTONE.
THEY, UM, THEY'RE A GOOD STEWARD.
THEY, UM, I'M ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY PANEL.
WE MEET, MEET WITH THEM EVERY OTHER MONTH.
WE, WE ASK THEM THE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND, UH, WE'RE NOT NOT HERE TO SUPPORT 'EM.
I'M HERE TO JUST STATE SOME FACTS AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A, UH, A MEETING WITH THEM OFTEN AND, UH, ANY, ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UH, RESTRICT THEM TO, UM, UH, EXPAND THEIR PLANT, THAT WOULD INCLUDE FERTILIZER, FOR INSTANCE.
THAT'S A NON EXPLOSIVE, IT'S NOT, UH, AMMONIUM NITRATE AMMONIUM SULFATE, LIKE THE GENTLEMAN JUST EXPLAINED.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
AND, UM, SO, UH, WE, WE NEED THE CHEMICALS, UH, THE CHEMICALS THAT THEY MAKE, UM, PROBABLY GO INTO ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.
IF THERE'S ANY, UH, EXPANSION THAT WOULD REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.
AND IF THEY COULDN'T DO THAT, THEN THAT, THAT WOULD BE A, A NEGATIVE THING.
THE TECHNOLOGY TODAY THAT THEY USE, UH, ON THESE PLANTS, UH, ARE NOTHING LIKE THEY WERE IN THE SIXTIES.
UH, THESE PLANTS HAVE CONTINUED TO, UH, IMPROVE AND REDUCE, UH, THEY'RE EMISSIONS AND, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE FERTILIZER, UH, FACILITY THAT WANTS TO COME THERE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO REDUCE, UH, EMISSIONS, NOT CREATE MORE.
UM, AND SO I THINK, UH, THE, THE, IN THE PAST, UH, UH, THE PARISH, UH, HAS DONE A HORRIBLE JOB AT REGULATING THE LANDFILL.
AND, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THESE NEW REGULATIONS WOULD PROHIBIT ANOTHER LANDFILL ON THE EAST BANK, BUT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE FOR A LANDFILL.
I'M SURE FOLKS THAT LIVE ON THE WEST BANK WOULD AGREE PROBABLY THOSE THAT LIVE ON THE EAST BANK WOULD NOT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WE NEED, UH, WE NEED A LANDFILL.
BUT IF YOU ASK PEOPLE, THEY WILL SAY, YEAH, THAT'S TRUE, BUT NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
WE NEED THE CHEMICALS, WE NEED THE FERTILIZER.
WE, UH, WE, WE TOO DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES FOR FERTILIZER, WE CAN'T MAKE OUR OWN FERTILIZER.
WE CAN'T MAKE OUR OWN CHEMICALS THAT'S HIGHLY NEEDED FOR, UM, THINGS THAT WE NEED, UH, EVEN PHARMACEUTICALS.
SO, UH, I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO ANYTHING THE PARISH MIGHT DO THAT WOULD HINDER CORNERSTONE OR ANY OTHER, UH, FACILITY THAT, UH, IS GOING TO, UH, IMPROVE THE PROCESS AND MAKE THINGS SAFER.
I CAN, ONE MORE, ONE, ONE MORE.
I LIVE AT FIVE 13 KENMORE DRIVE AND HARAHAN, I'M NOT BEING PAID TO BE HERE.
SO JUST LIKE MY, UH, COWORKER GARY HAS SAID, I'VE SEEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED WHEN A LARGE COMPANY PULLS OUT OF A PARISH, YOU LOSE A LOT OF GOOD TAX MONEY THAT GOES TOWARDS INNOVATION, SUCH AS FIXING OUR ROADS, PROVIDING TO OUR SCHOOLS, AND GOING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WHERE DO WE EAT AT AT RESTAURANTS JEFFERSON PARISH, WHERE DO WE STOP FOR GAS? JEFFERSON PARISH WITH THESE NEW REGULATIONS, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS OF MOTTO A CORNERSTONE IS FROM ENERGY TO INNOVATION.
THIS WOULD PROHIBIT OUR INNOVATION WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CHEMICALS CLEANER, HAVE CLEANER AIR, AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MONITORING AND PROVIDE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF HARAHAN FOR 25 YEARS AND NOT ONCE HAVE I EVER SMELLED ANYTHING COMING FROM CHEMICAL COMPANIES ANYWHERE.
[01:15:01]
AND, UH, I HAVE DON'T SEE ANY TIME COMING SOON.HELLO, MY NAME IS NAYA THOMAS.
I LIVE AT 27 57 FOLIAGE DRIVE, MARRERO, LOUISIANA.
AND I AM HERE NOT ONLY AS A CORNERSTONE INTERN.
YES, I AM DEFINITELY NOT BEING PAID FOR YEAR AT ALL.
UM, I AM HERE AS A CORNERSTONE KID FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
MY FATHER HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY CORNERSTONE AND WE HAVE SEEN JUST THE DRAMATIC IMPACTS THAT NOT ONLY HIS JOB HAS GIVEN TO US, BUT ALSO JUST THE OUTREACH THAT CORNERSTONE HAS GIVEN TO MY FAMILY.
EVERY YEAR WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO TRICK TRUNK OR TREATS TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
THEY'RE NOT THERE TO HARM US AT ALL.
THEY ARE THERE TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THE SITE, THAT IS POSSIBLE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS, SEE, I WAS MY TWO MYSELF, VERY SKEPTICAL AT FIRST WHEN IT CAME TO CORN, CHEMICAL PLANTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I JUST SAW A BIG SCARY PLANT EMISSIONS GASES, HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE WORLD THAT WAS BEHIND THE GATES.
ONCE I WAS ABLE TO SEE BEHIND THE GATES MYSELF AND HAVE MY FATHER BEHIND THOSE GATES AND HAVE HIM HAVE NO MEDICAL PROBLEMS OUTSIDE OF THINGS THAT HE HAD PRIOR TO GOING TO THE PLANT, I LOVE IT.
I HOPE TO CONTINUE MY STAY THERE AND CONTINUE TO LEARN AND CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM ALL THESE GREAT PEOPLE IN THESE AMAZING BLUE SHIRTS.
AND I HOPE THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS ABLE TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
UM, I LIVE IN LORRAINE, LOUISIANA, AND I JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT I'M NOT PAID HERE.
I'M ACTUALLY MISSING OUT ON MONEY RIGHT NOW CAUSE I WAS OFFERED OVERTIME AT CORNERSTONE, BUT I DECLINED TO BE HERE.
UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME, I WENT TO BROTHER MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS A STATELY RECOGNIZED SCHOOL, UH, EASTERN ROONEY.
AND, UH, I WENT TO TRADE SCHOOL FOR SIX YEARS.
AND, UH, I'M ACTUALLY ONE OF THE AT ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS.
AND I JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT I AM ONE OF THE I E TECHNICIANS THAT WORKS ON THESE GAS ANALYZERS, THESE TOTAL ORGANIC COMPOUND ANALYZERS THAT MONITOR WHAT GOES IN THE RIVER.
AND BELIEVE ME, WE, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS.
WE DO, WE HEAR THEM, BUT WHAT WE WOULD APPRECIATE MORE IS IF YOU DIDN'T SIT HERE AND DISCREDIT OR PUT DOWN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ME AND MY BLUE COLLAR BROTHERS BEHIND ME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN COUNTLESS CALL OUTS THAT PEOPLE BEHIND ME HAVE CALLED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, 2:00 AM 3:00 AM AND I'VE WOKEN UP OUT OF MY BED, GOT DRESSED AND WENT TO THE PLANT TO WORK ON THESE ANALYZERS BECAUSE NOTHING'S PERFECT.
JUST LIKE YOU HOP IN YOUR CAR EVERY DAY AND YOUR CAR CANNOT START, IT CAN FAIL.
THERE'S THINGS THAT CAN FAIL, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
BUT THEY HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO HAVE BEEN HIGHLY TRAINED FOR SIX YEARS TO GO OUT THERE AND WORK ON THESE THINGS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO NOT DISMISS ANYBODY FROM ANY CHEMICAL INDUSTRY BECAUSE IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE BLUE COLLAR FIELD BEFORE IT, IT GETS STRESSFUL MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S 60, 74 HOUR WORK, WORK WEEKS, AND THOSE WORK WEEKS CAN GO ON FOR TWO, THREE MONTHS JUST SO WE CAN IMPROVE, REVAMP, AND CONTINUE TO PRODUCE CHEMICALS SAFELY.
I'M WITH ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS FOR THE NEW ORLEANS BAYOU CHAPTER, WHICH IS A 12 PARISH, UH, REGION AROUND METRO NEW ORLEANS.
WE TRAINED EASTON ROONEY AND WE TRAINED A LOT OF THE WORKFORCE THAT'S OUT THERE TODAY.
UM, I'M HERE TO JUST KIND OF SPEAK ON THE TOPIC OF HOW THIS PROPOSAL WOULD AFFECT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOW IT AFFECTS, UH, FOLKS THAT IN OUR INDUSTRY, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT PUT THIS FORWARD TO, TO AS GOOD REASONS TO LOOK AT IT CLOSELY.
BUT I THINK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS OF WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE,
[01:20:01]
THE, I CAN SPEAK TO THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS AND THE WORKERS THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING IN EXPANSION OF THIS FACILITIES, AND IT'S ALREADY HERE, FOLKS, THERE'S NO NEED TO CHANGE THE ZONING FROM WHAT IT IS ALREADY.IT'S, IT SERVICES A INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR AND I THINK WE WANT MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MORE GROWTH, MORE JOBS.
SO I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT.
[IV. Closing Remarks & Adjournment]
CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S, UH, HEARING ON THE JEFFERSON PARISH INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS DRAFT NUMBER TWO.THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AGAIN.
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