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President Billy Nungesser’s SP Page

For Immediate Release                                                                                 May 5, 2009                                                                                                       

Vitter Announces $6 Million Grant to Plaquemines Parish

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today announced the award of a $6,000,000 grant to Plaquemines Parish by the Minerals Management Service.  The money will partially fund dune and supratidal habitat construction on East Grand Terre Island. In addition to preserving these key habitats, the project aims to prevent breaching of the island for at least 20 years.

“This grant is a huge boost to our ongoing efforts to restore Louisiana’s coasts and wetlands,” Vitter said. “With this and other projects, the people of Plaquemines Parish can continue to meet the challenges they face on the front lines of coastal protection.”

The grant is the latest in a series of grants through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program administered by the MMS.

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Dear South Plaquemines Residents,

            I live in the middle of the parish and since I took office my commitment has been to serve all of the people equally.

South Plaquemines took the first hit of Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in American history.  We’ve been working to not only restore the lower end, but to put in new and improved facilities. 

Through the Plaquemines Legacy Campaign, four community centers are being built in the parish, including the Port Sulphur Community Center, Buras Community Center, and Boothville-Venice Community Center.  Each community center will consist of a meeting room, swimming pool, fitness center, offices, and a conference room.  The ceremonial ground breaking for the Port Sulphur Community Center was held April 22nd and drew top officials from the state’s FEMA office and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. 

On March 20th we cut the ribbon on the Leroy Harvey Park in Boothville.  The park now has an additional feature—an area for skate boarding.  The Leroy Harvey Park is one of five parks which will open around the parish, each with a unique play element.  The Roger Halphern Park is being rebuilt and it will have one of the additional enhancements I mentioned.  FEMA has finished its work on the park in Diamond.

            Construction is underway on the Buras Auditorium and Buras Library.  The Buras Water Tower is up and operational, and stands as a sign of recovery for all who pass.  Repair work is being done at the Buras Boat Harbor.  Several fire stations are being rebuilt—O’Brien, Boothville-Venice, Buras, Lake Hermitage, and Port Sulphur. 

            Maintenance dredging will soon begin to deepen Tiger Pass.  We partnered with the Army Corps and now, instead of the dredged materials being dumped off the continental shelf, they will be used to create an estimated 55 acres of marsh.  That project is fully covered by the federal government. 

            The Army Corps also recently informed me it finally agreed to look at a flood wall near Venice at River Mile 10.5, as opposed to taking out the complete block of businesses, which includes Ellzey Marine.

Crews are working to replace the Dollout Canal Bridge in Empire.  It’s estimated to be completed in early 2010.  Ostrica Locks has been out since Katrina, but it’s currently under construction and expected to be completed in August.

We’re working with the state and federal governments to raise parts of Highway 23.  We can’t risk losing access to the lower end in the event of another flood.

            Many of the projects I named are in V-Zones on FEMA’s new DFIRM maps.  We’re working with the federal government to ensure the projects will not be stopped or slowed down. 

We must rebuild South Plaquemines.  Once complete, the goal of these projects is to provide basic community needs to bring residents together, and encourage people to return.  Please let me know if there’s anything we can do to help our parish.

Your Friend,

Billy Nungesser

Parish President

8056 Hwy. 23, Suite 200

Belle Chasse, LA  70037

504 274 2460

504 274 2463 Fax

bnungesser@plaqueminesparish.com

We’ve made progress with the Corps of Engineers looking at marrying the two projects—IER13 and federalizing the levees from Oakville to St. Jude.  I’ve had several conversations with Senator Landrieu and Congressman Melancon, and I will meet with Senator Vitter on Friday.

We’ve met with Col. McCormick and the Corps staff several times.  They’re working very hard to see if these projects can be married to eliminate the flood gate.

Let me thank you for the united support you’ve shown through this project.  It’s the reason the Corps is taking a second look at IER13.  I will keep you informed.

Sincerely,

Billy Nungesser

Chasing windmills helps parish

Times Picayune

Sunday, May 24, 2009

By Melinda Morris

http://www.nola.com/picayunes/t-p/wbpicayunes/index.ssf?/base/news-17/124337460433160.xml&coll=1

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser says he is on a mission to make Plaquemines the first green parish in the state.

"We have started aggressively going after any project that could put people to work in our parish," ever since President Barack Obama announced stimulus money was available for green energy programs. "We want to be at the forefront," Nungesser said.

Initiatives include testing a windmill at the Southwest Pass to see if it would be viable to build more to supply energy to the parish, testing a turbine in the Mississippi River for the same purpose, constructing a new PAWS animal shelter with state-of-the-art green building design and seeking purchase of the Metropolitan Developmental Center to consolidate parish government operations and install energy-efficient technology.

Stan Mathes, parish director of economic development and tourism, said Rice University has offered to conduct free viability studies of the Southwest Pass windmill. Nungesser said it's possible the windmills could produce enough power that there would be leftover energy the parish could sell to other entities.

Nungesser said residents of Plaquemines could see lower tax bills if parish government reduced its energy costs through use of wind power.

Plaquemines workers could find jobs building the platforms for the windmills, or in transporting people by boat to work to and from the platforms.

Mathes said the Southwest Pass area is in the highest category in the nation for amount of wind produced.

Nungesser said, "We're very confident it will provide substantial wind. On a slow day, there's a good breeze."

The windmills also withstand hurricanes, Mathes said. Once winds reach 50 mph, the blades automatically fold down.

Plaquemines Parish is also in a good spot for the river turbines, Nungesser said. Three prime locations are near English Turn and Jesuit Bend.

As for the PAWS no-kill animal shelter, Nungesser is excited about moving what he calls "unbelievably dedicated" workers from their current location into a new building, to which the parish has committed $600,000. Grant money will pay for the rest. He hopes that in 90 to 120 days, the project will go out for bids.

The parish plans to apply for recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council for the PAWS design. The LEED rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) would mean the building operates in an environmentally friendly way in its design, construction and operation.

Some of the new PAWS features will include: solar hot water heating, geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, rainwater recovery system, onsite waste water treatment with algae, recycled concrete roadways and more.

Finally, Nungesser hopes the Legislature will allow the parish to take over the Metropolitan Developmental Center on F. Edward Hebert Boulevard where the state used to house people with developmental disabilities. There are a few state agencies currently in the building.

Consolidating much of the parish government in that building would save money -- right now, parish operations are scattered.

In the short term, the construction of windmills, turbines and the new PAWS shelter would bring jobs. "But it's not just a short-term benefit," Nungesser said. The environmental benefits would last "for years to come."

. . . . . . .

Melinda Morris can be reached at 504.826.3782 or mmorris@timespicayune.com.

Dear Plaquemines Parish residents,

                We continue to work to incorporate the West Bank back levees into the 100 year protection plan.  We recently had a conference call with several Army Corps officials to go over the differences we had in cost analysis, levee height and width, and time frame to add the back levee reach into 100 year protection.  With the help of consultants, our Land Department has data which indicates the cost of adding the back levee to the 100 year protection system could be a local Corps decision, instead of having to request input from Congress.  We have a working meeting with the Army Corps this week to review and assess our new figures and compare them to the Corps’ numbers.  

Thanks to the help of people like Pete Stavros, Frank Guerrera, and others who have done meticulous research, we have very good reason to expect nothing less than adding the back levees into the 100 year protection plan.  And anything less than that would be deemed unacceptable by Plaquemines Parish Government and the people of the parish. 

As a backup option in the event we lose this battle, we asked Senator David Vitter to request the language to authorize 100 year protection for the levee reach.  And if necessary, we are prepared to go to Washington, D.C. to meet with our Senators to demand the 100 year protection include the West Bank back levee system.

If you need additional information or would like to talk to me, please don’t hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Billy Nungesser

Parish President