Local loggers urge Region VIII support for carbon-capture project, candidate seeks backing

Toni McAllister, speaking for the Louisiana Loggers Association, told the Winn Parish Police Jury that nearby industrial investment tied to carbon capture could revive the local timber economy after the Campti Mill shutdown.

"To think that Sun Gas would take 2 million tons in pulp wood in the first 5 years and later possibly 4 tons would be a great win for Winn Parish and La. loggers across the State," McAllister said, noting the Campti Mill previously consumed around 2 million tons of pulp wood and the parish lost roughly 140 jobs after its closure.

McAllister urged the Jury to support Region VIII leadership that asks hard questions about carbon-capture projects while enabling local opportunity. "Part of that is the carbon capture," she said, acknowledging some community hesitation around potential impacts to drinking water and urging careful vetting.

Sean McGlothlin, who described himself as a retired firefighter and a juror since 2012, asked jurors to consider backing his run for the Region VIII executive-board seat. "I am running not to just help Rapides Parish but all the Parishes in Region VIII," he said, and told the Jury he supports carbon capture and is "confident that Beaver Lake will do it the right way." The candidate also thanked jurors for past support during his two years on the Region VIII Executive Board.

The discussion was delivered during the public-comment portion of the Sept. 15 meeting; no vote or formal resolution on the carbon-capture issue was taken.