Did you know that 60 percent of the grain used in the United States moves through St. Charles Parish’s port? How about the fact that the parish produces about 3 percent of America’s daily crude oil, which equates to 500,000 barrels everyday?
Some residents may already know these, and other interesting facts about the parish, but it’s a good bet that the state representatives in Washington, D.C. need a constant reminder of this. That’s why the parish created a video and PowerPoint presentation that lets those representatives know just how important the parish is to the rest of the country and why they should lend a hand as the parish tries to complete vital infrastructure projects – even if the parish may not be as big as some of the ones that surround it.
“Face time with the Louisiana congressional delegation is extremely valuable, and the parish wanted to make a strong case for obtaining funding for priority projects,” Parish spokeswoman Renee Simpson said. “That week, the delegation was presented with similar presentations from other parishes, so we knew we had to make an impression.”
The video, which led off the presentation, referred to St. Charles Parish as the “Gateway to America.” It opens with a beautiful sunrise over the parish and tells the viewer that for breakfast many families around the country will eat products containing grain that has passed through St. Charles Parish. Then, when those people get in their vehicles, they could be using crude oil that was produced in St. Charles, since 3 percent of America’s daily amount comes from the area.
And if that wasn’t enough, the video also informed the delegation that the largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere – the Port of South Louisiana – consists of industry and port facilities within St. Charles, St. John and St. James Parishes.
And what would happen if a huge storm threatened the area? Well, it wouldn’t just affect St. Charles, it would affect the rest of the country.
Major evacuation routes run through St. Charles, including I-10, Airline Highway and Highway 90. During Hurricane Ike, storm surge threatened to shut down Highway 90 just past the St. Charles Parish line.
“If Highway 90 would flood, people in St. Bernard, Jefferson and New Orleans wouldn’t be able to evacuate,” Parish President V.J. St. Pierre said.
Four major railroads – Kansas City Southern, Canadian National, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern – call St. Charles Parish home. If the parish were to flood, “we wouldn’t be able to get those goods and services to our industrial plants or to other places in the United States,” St. Pierre said.
The parish also has 19 industrial complexes, a nuclear power plant and a gas generating plant.
“If all that is shut down, the rest of the country would suffer just as we would,” St. Pierre said.
Because of all the parish has to offer, St. Pierre wanted state representatives to know just what the parish needs to protect it all.
Those main priorities include; a West Bank levee; a floodwall in Des Allemands; a new route from River Road (LA 18) to US 90, which would alleviate traffic and evacuation concerns by giving the parish a new state highway; improvements to sewer lift stations; the construction of pump stations at Magnolia Ridge in Boutte and Cross Bayou in Destrehan; and the construction of a public port on the West Bank.
“I think now more than ever our national leaders are being tasked with getting the most ‘bang’ for our federal tax dollars, with all the discussion about pork barrel spending and earmarks,” Simpson said. “So, we were tasked with showing them how wise it will be to fund these projects. They truly do have an important impact and benefit on the rest of the region and country as a whole.”
Simpson and Melanie Worrall, the parish’s public information videographer, spent a week and a half putting together the presentation based on ideas from St. Pierre and Grants Officer Holly Fonseca. The two also had statistical help from Economic Development Director Corey Faucheux.
“Along with our own files, we used footage and photos from the Port of South Louisiana and local industry, who were very helpful in gathering information for the presentation,” Simpson said.
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