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Residents press DOTD and consultants on process, cypress loss and data omissions at CARBD hearing
Summary
Landowners and residents criticized the project's public-record treatment, alleged the Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) omitted comments, questioned a letter that mentioned an EIS, and warned that Site F14 would remove extensive old-growth cypress and forest on Plaquemines Point.
At a lengthy public-comment session, residents and landowners asked DOTD and Atlas Technical to clarify the NEPA path, documentation of public input and the project’s environmental footprint.
"NEPA regulations require that the public be involved early and continued in the scoping and phasing," said Laura Comer, who urged DOTD to update the PEL and public records to include comments submitted between June 2022 and December 2023. Comer and other commenters said an initial cultural-resources letter incorrectly referenced an EIS; Atlas said a correction letter was sent to clarify that the NEPA determination had not been made and that the cultural-resource mailing included a standard Phase 1 questionnaire.
Several Plaquemines Point residents said they had not seen the full record of outreach and expressed concern about tree loss. "A 150 acres of trees in Plaquemines Point would be cut by the 600 foot wide pathway of e 114... that equals 15,000 trees that would be cut down," said Rachel Schacksteiner (LeBlanc), who described potential local temperature and flooding effects from removing mature trees.
Neighbors and some board members challenged the timing of public meetings and how public input will be included in the NEPA document. Atlas and DOTD said prior public comments that were received after the PEL public-comment period will be incorporated into the NEPA document and that all future comments will be reviewed during the comment phases tied to the environmental document.
Several commenters urged site visits and earlier, more targeted stakeholder meetings on Plaquemines Point. Residents also asked whether DOTD and consultants had contacted river pilots, the Corps and other river-operational stakeholders; presenters said those agencies had been engaged as part of the technical review.
The district preserved all public-comment submissions in the meeting record and said it will share email contacts for future notices to stakeholders and property owners.
The board closed public comment after a roster of additional cards was read into the record and adjourned the meeting.
